MAORI HOUSES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 198, 22 August 1935, Page 16

MAORI HOUSES.

WAIAPU BISHOP'S ADDRESS. BAY OF PLENTY RESEARCH. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WHAKATANE, Wednesday. At the annual reunion of the Bay of Plenty Historical Society Bishop Williams, of Waiapu, gave an interesting address on "Maori Houses." He began by describing the primitive beehive type of house noted by Captain Cook and early missionaries. Such a house was occupied by Tβ Ngarara on the summit of Puketapii, Whakatane, whither the captive from the brig Hawes was taken in 1529. He stated that the lay-out of the house was not truly rectangular for a specific and "tapu" reason. . He described the erection and the foundation of the four walls and the "tukutuku" panels with their intricate weavings. He detailed various processes in the erection of the "p.otahu" and the "tahuhu," which was lifted up by means of shearlegs.

The audience listened with close attention to the speaker's lucid and practical explanation and the hope was expressed that he would be able to come again next year to continue his series'.

■ After the lecture Maori action songs and a haka were given by school children from the Paroa native school.

An exhibit of a model in clay of the old redoubt on the site of the Papaka Pa, above PoTiuturoa, was exhibited; also a design for the society V use, which had Ven beautifully executed by Miss G. Watson.

Father Van Beek, president of the society, said he hoped that he would live to see a model of Toi placed on the hills or on the top of Pohuturoa Eock like that of Captain Cook. He considered that Toi's navigation to our shores was even more skilled than that of Captain Cook.