Important parts of the goldfield were owned by the ngāti maru rangatira (chief) rapana maunganoa and the taipari family. Including a list of street names and their origins where known. Thames gave a name to town and district, but the river has.
“in 1842 this area was given the name shortland after the then acting governor of new zealand willoughy shortland, transliterated by hauraki māori as hoterini. It is the firth of the rivers waihou and piako, the former of which was formerly named the thames river, and the town of thames lies on its southeastern coast. Its maori name is tikapa.
On some maps ‘waihou’ appears as the only name and on others ‘thames’ only, although the majority of maps are marked ‘ thames or waihou’. These names however always apply to the. Rivers major rivers throughout new zealand were often given european names but later changed back to earlier māori names. Ahuriri (napier) akaroa (banks peninsula) aorangi (fielding).
The river reverted to its māori name of waihou, but the inlet is still known as the firth (estuary) of thames, a combination of english and scottish words.