LOCATIONS

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PLACENAME	WHERE	HISTORY
Jack’s Bay	Small bay about a mile sth of Catlins River estuary.  Hayward Point is northern headland	Name refers to John Tuhawaiki
Jack’s Island	Off southern end of Jack’s Bay
Jackman’s Stream	Small creek flowing into Glenomaru Stream	Named after JACKMAN, early settler and sawmill owner
Jacob’s Hill	Prominent hill overlooking Newhaven	Named after an old maori
Johnstone	5km from Waitahuna	Named after surveyor of district
Kahuika	District between Caberfeidh and Maclennan, 24km from Owaka	Said to mean ‘meeting of the waters’
Kaihiku	Old railway siding in district between Warepa and Waiwera, 19km from Balclutha	‘Kai’ is food, ‘hiku’ tail of fish.
Kaihiku Range	Prominent range running from Warepa to Clinton
Kaihiku River	Rise southern slopes of Kaihiku Range	Flows into Clutha River 6mls upstream from Balclutha
Kaimaitaitai	Name for old port at The Nuggets, 30km from Balclutha	‘Kai’ food, ‘mataitai ‘salty’
Kaitangata Kaitangata Coal Mine c1890	Coal mining centre in South Otago situated on Matau branch of Clutha River, 13km from Balclutha	One meaning given -‘Kai’ to eat, food; ‘tangata’ man’.  Battle fought here between two tribes over eeling rights, chief Mokomoko being killed and eaten by victors.  Another is that was named for Kaitakata of Arai-te-uru canoe who found type of clay used in painted designs.  Another version is based on mythology, Rupe’s son, Kaitangata was crushed by a heavy beam and his blood spread across the heavens, explaining sky at sunset.
Kaiwera	Stream flowing around south side of Otaraia Hill into Waipahi River.	Corruption of ‘Kahuwera’, hot clothes.  ‘Kaiwera’ would be hot food
Kaka Point	Seaside town between Port Molyneux and Karoro Creek, 22km from Balclutha	Name refers to native parrot once common in district
Kakapuaka	Old railway station and township 3mls west of Balclutha	Railway station was originally Waitepeka and post office Kakapuaka.  Settlers petitioned to change railway station to Kakapuaka
Karoro Creek	Small creek flowing into Willsher Bay	Maori name for black backed gull  OR  short for Ka-o-Ue, fire of Ue
Katea	District 5km up Hunts Road, 5km from Owaka	Probably abbreviation of ‘kahikatea’ the white pine
Kenneth Peak	Mountain 1mile nth of Tahakopa River
Koau River	Commencing just below railway bridge at Balclutha, the Koau River is the branch of the Clutha River forming western boundary of Inch Clutha and southern boundary of Balclutha	Koau is Maori name for pied shag.
Kuramea	Maori name for Catlins River
Kuriwao	District 48km from Gore 5km sth of Clinton.  Also Kuriwao Peak - prominent peak within area	Maori name was ‘Koaka-kaeaea’ – nest of the sparrow hawk
Kuriwao Stream	Rises in hills south of Clinton, flows down Kuriwao Gorge, west of Kuriwao Peak then through Clinton district into Waiwera River	Kuri means dog and wao is forest
Lawrence	96km from Dunedin on Central Otago Highway	Named in 1857 after Sir HM LAWRENCE, hero of Indian Mutiny
Lochindorb	Also known as Shaw’s old run.  Top end of Puerua Valley	Lochindorb is a lake in Morayshire, Scotland
Long Point	Prominent headland 7 miles east of Tautuku Peninsula.	S.S. Manuka was wrecked here in 1929.  Maori name was ‘Irihuka’ – hanging with foam
Longbeach Creek	East of Waikawa Harbour.	Boundary between Otago and Southland
Lovell’s Flat	District between Moneymore and Stirling, 14km from Balclutha.  Also Lovells Creek	Originally owned by pioneer settler, John LOVELL, one of whose sons discovered coal at Kaitangata.
MacKenzie Stream	Rises near Tarara and flows into Catlins Lake near Ratanui	Named after Sir Thomas MACKENZIE, MP for district
Maclennan	Old railway station on Catlins River line where Maclennan River joins the Tahakopa, 63km from Balclutha	Murdoch MacLENNAN took up the MacLennan run in 1884
Maclennan Range	Range between head waters of Tauruku and Tahakopa Rivers.
Maclennan River	Small river rising near Ajax Hill, about 5 miles nth of Tahakopa Valley, flows into Tahakopa River	Maori name ‘Waimaeroero’
Manuka Creek	District just beyond the Manuka Gorge on Lawrence/Central Otago highway, 14km from Milton	Manuka shrub growing prolifically in area
Manuka Island	Small island in Clutha River, 3 miles up from Balclutha
Maranuku	Maori reserve at Karoro
Marshall’s Creek	Also known as Awakia Stream	Matthew MARSHALL was a shepherd of Meredith’s Popotunoa Run in 1853
Mataipipi	Old time Maori pa at mouth of Clutha River near Coal Point
McPhee Cove	Small bay west of Pillan’s Head	Named after McPHEE, boat builder at Owaka River
Measley Beach	Between Clutha and Tokomairiro	Large party of Maoris died from measles c 1835
Milburn	Small settlement 6km north of Milton	Name derived from ‘Millbourne’, property name of Mr BLACK, so named because of stream flowing through farm the water from which drove the wheels of mills at Milton
Miller’s Point	Catlins
Milton McGill’s Flour Mill, Milton est 1858	Town at heart of Tokomairiro region	Name derived from Mill Town, the settlement around McGill’s flourmill and several other mills in the area
Mokamoka	Name adopted for short period for Pounawea
Molyneux	Alternative name for Clutha River	Captain Cook named what he took to be a harbour after Robert MOLINEUX, sailing master of ‘Endeavour’ who died during the voyage.  Whalers adopted name for the river.  Old miners referred to the river above Cromwell as the Clutha and below, the Molyneux.
Moneymore	District 6km south of Milton	Named after district in Ireland where guardian of orphaned MARTIN family came from.  Property named Moneymore Farm.  Formerly known as Southbridge or South Toko, name changed as confusion with same name in Southland.
Mount Cooee	Hill on bank of Clutha to north of Balclutha	So named as settlers often had to ccoey loudly to attract attention of ferryman.
Mount Roseberry	Highest peak in South Otago called the Steep Face area, about 15 miles south of Clinton and 20 miles north of Chaslands.	Three early runs, the Merrie Creek, the Cairn and the Wisp shared the rough tussock country of this area.
Murikauhaka	Old Maori village at old mouth of Clutha River (near Port Molyneux)	Canoes were tied up in a backwater.  ‘Muri’ means behind, ‘kauhaka’ a bay

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Sources:

‘Pioneering in South Otago’ by F Waite, pub. 1948 ‘Catlins Pioneering’ by AR Tyrell, pub. 1989 ‘Faith and Toil’ by DJ Sumpter and JJ Lewis, pub 1949 ‘Full Circle’ 1975 ‘Place Names of New Zealand’ by AW Reed, pub 1975 ‘Otago Place Names’ by JH Beattie, pub

Please let us know of any we have missed, or are incorrect

Contact:  Secretary, Balclutha@genealogy.org.nz

‘Locations J-M’ last updated 18 Nov 2006