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Story: King Country region

Te Rohe Pōtae hat monuments

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Te Rohe Pōtae hat monuments

Monuments in Ōtorohanga (top) and Taumarunui (bottom) commemorate the naming of Te Rohe Pōtae (the area of the hat) and the story behind it, in which King Tāwhiao (or, in some sources Wahanui Huatere) is said to have thrown a hat onto a map of the North Island. Newspapers often mentioned that Tāwhiao wore a European-style hat. Some said it was white, and a photograph of him wearing a white top hat is held by the Alexander Turnbull Library.

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How to cite this page

Kerryn Pollock, King Country region – Overview, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/35047/te-rohe-potae-hat-monuments (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 6 December 2011, updated 1 March 2015.

Comments

Wikiwira Pokiha
06 August 2013
Does anyone have any other korero about Te Rohe Potae?