Te Awa o Mokotūāraro

{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox river | name = Te Awa o Mokotūāraro | other_name = Clive River | image = Waka paddling class.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = Waka-paddling class on Te Awa o Mokotūāraro | pushpin_map = New Zealand | source1_location = | mouth_location = | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = New Zealand | length = {{convert|33|km|mi|abbr=on}} | source1_elevation = | mouth_elevation = {{convert|0|m|abbr=on}} | discharge1_avg = | basin_size = }} '''Te Awa o Mokotūāraro''', formerly known as the '''Clive River''', is a river in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.<ref>{{LINZ|55557||2010-04-11}}</ref> At {{convert|33|km|mi}} long, it is the shortest of the main rivers flowing through the Heretaunga Plains.

Te Awa o Mokotūāraro occupies the former course of the Ngaruroro River, which in 1867 changed flow to its present course during major flooding.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dravid |first1=P. N. (David) |last2=Brown |first2=L. J. |title=Heretaunga Plains Groundwater Study |date=1997 |chapter=Volume 1: Findings |chapter-url= https://www.hbrc.govt.nz/assets/Document-Library/Projects/TANK/TANK-Key-Reports/Heretaunga-Plains-Groundwater-Study-1997.pdf |page=44 |publisher=Hawke's Bay Regional Council |accessdate=7 June 2023}}</ref>

Getting most of its drainage from irrigation ditches around the Heretaunga Plains, the river starts from the west of Flaxmere (just south of the Ngaruroro River), where it flows south-east, west of Hastings before making a sharp, right angle turn towards Havelock North. The river then flows north-east past Havelock North, where it is known as the '''Karamu Stream''', and again flowing past Hastings, this time to the east of Hastings. The river finally turns in an east direction there it flows past the town of Clive and into the Pacific Ocean.

==Names==

The bed of the river is a remnant of the original course of the Ngaruroro River before flood control diversion works were completed in 1969. It was officially named after Clive of India in 1975.<ref name="Stuff">{{cite news |last1=Schwanecke |first1=Gianina |title='If you restore the name, you restore everything else': Campaign aims to remove colonial name from Hawke's Bay river |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/130074181/if-you-restore-the-name-you-restore-everything-else-campaign-aims-to-remove-colonial-name-from-hawkes-bay-river |access-date=8 October 2022 |work=Stuff |date=7 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

It has also been referred to with variants of his Battle of Plassey, such as Plasse in 1857<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 June 1857 |title=Notes of a trip to and from Ahuriri in the "Wonga Wonga." Daily Southern Cross |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DSC18570602.2.13 |access-date=2025-06-19 |website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}</ref> and Plassey,<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 April 1859 |title=Hawke's Bay Herald |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HBH18590416.2.7.2 |access-date=2025-06-19 |website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}</ref> or Plassy in 1859.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 December 1859 |title=Hawke's Bay Herald |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HBH18591203.2.4.4 |access-date=2025-06-19 |website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}</ref> Those names were no longer used by the 1920s,<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 October 1921 |title=Daily Telegraph (Napier) |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DTN19211004.2.34 |access-date=2025-06-19 |website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}</ref> but it isn't clear when their use ended.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 February 1939 |title=Plassey River. Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HBHETR19390204.2.25 |access-date=2025-06-19 |website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}</ref>

The restoration of the full original name ''Ngaruroro Moko-tū-ā-raro-ki-Rangatira'', a name decreed by Ruawharo the tohunga of te waka Tākitimu, was proposed in 2022.<ref name="Stuff"/> The Minister for Land Information officially renamed the river to ''Te Awa o Mokotūāraro'' in June 2023. The new official name is a shortened version of the full original name.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Callaghan |first=Jody |date=2023-06-07 |title=Hawke's Bay river restored to original name, Te Awa o Mokotūāraro |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/132253958/hawkes-bay-river-restored-to-original-name-te-awa-o-mokotraro |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=Stuff |language=en}}</ref><ref name=NZGB_2023>{{Cite web |title=NZGB notices – June 2023 |publisher=Toitū Te Whenua - Land Information New Zealand |url=https://www.linz.govt.nz/our-work/new-zealand-geographic-board/recent-place-name-decisions/nzgb-notices-june-2023 |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=www.linz.govt.nz |language=en}}</ref>

==See also== *List of rivers of New Zealand

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Rivers of Hawke's Bay Category:Rivers of New Zealand