WHARE-WHAKAIRO.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 252, 23 October 1936, Page 5

WHARE-WHAKAIRO.

i FAMOUS BUILDING, t MATATUA MEETING HOUSE. ; LECTURE BY DR. WADMORE. > For over two hours on Thursday ! evening Dr. J. C. Wadmore, the well- • known Bay of Plenty research worker • in Maori lore, delighted the members of t the anthropology section of the Auck- ■ land Institute with a discourse on the famous carved Maori house "Matatua" ( —or as it properly be spelt, "Mata-a- ---• Atua" (the spearhead of the god), i There was a large attendance of members for this, the final meeting of this ' session, and Mr. Gilbert Archey, the i chairman, presided. The runanga, which was built by the Ngatiawa tribe of the Bay of Plenty, said Dr. Wadmore, was commenced about 1872 and completed in 1874. It was built on the original site of an ancient house built by Toroa, the ccuumander of the Mata-atua canoe, sand to have been named Tapu-te-Ranga — an allusion to the miraculous landing of the Mata-atua canoe in Island Bay (Wellington). The house which immediately preceded "Matatua" was called "Tupapaku-rau," while the present house at Whakatane on the historic site is named "Wairaka," after the daughter of Toroa, whose name survives in Auckland as Owairaka (Mount Albert). Reconciling Tribes. One of the objects in building the Matatua house was to reconcile the tribes of Ngatiawa and Urewera, between whom there was ill-feeling consequent upon the Tuhoe people having helped Te Kooti to burn and sack Whakatane in March, 18G0. The idea originated with Holiaia Matatehokia, chief of the Ngati-pukeko tribe. He consulted Wepilia Apanui and Major i Mair, and two years after the first i pourparlers the whole tribe took up the ] mattor and decided to build a house aztdii

to represent all their ancestors therein. The house was opened in 1875 at a large gathering, by the late Sir Donald McLean. The tahuliu, or ridge pole, which was 70ft long, was brought from the Toki-a-Kiwa bush, five miles south of Wliakatane, and floated down the river. The totara used was secured ten miles away from the river bed at Pekapekatalii. The roof was thatched with raupo and kakalio from the swamps, and the panels of tukutuku work from the yellow pingao grass, rush and the mapere (a kind of toetoe), also kiekie. Its width was 41ft, and its height 10ft to the eaves and 22ft to the rafters (lieke), so that a great deal of workmanship could be displayed.

During a visit of Sir Donald McLean, the Wliakatane natives jiresented the house to Queen Victoria as a token of goodwill and peace, and the Government made them a present of £200; the decision to present it was not unanimous, and it is said that some women encouraged the men to prevent it by stealing the tahuliu. However, it was dissembled and shipped to Auckland, and thence to the Sydney Exhibition of 1880. Here the authorities, ignorant of tradition, transposed the carved poupou (slabs) and tukutuku panels so that they faced outwards—causing disastrous depreciation to the timber and woodwork. Next it went to England, where it was said to have been stored in the cellars at Buckingham Palace.

Home Found in Dunedin. About the time of the accession of King Edward VII. it was "springcleaned" out of the Palace basement and sent to the South Kensington Museum. For 40 years no one knew how to erect it, nor was there a site available. At last it was rescued by Mr. E. T. Donne, of the New Zealand Government Tourist Department, who suggested it be erected in the grounds of the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley. Even then this much-travelled Whare-whakairo had not found a resting-piace; it was shipped back—what was intact—and re-erected as an exhibit at tl)p International South Seas Exhibition at Dunedin. Intelligently restored under the supervision of Mr. H. D. Skinner, the curator of Otago University Museum, it is now housed in stlie new Willi Fels wing, with fine carving restoratorv work carried out by Mr. T. C'liappe Hall. The house is remarkable in design through having twin figures on each amo (slabs Isupporting the barge-boards)—on one

side the twins Tara-ki-uta and Tara-ki-tai, and 011 the other the twin warriors Waha-Hamana and Tai-timu-roa.

The koruru, or gable ornament, represents Moko-ora, grandfather of Wepiha Apanni, who was killed in battle by Te Wliakatohea tribe at Onekawa in 1828. On the threshold are carved figures of the marine deity Ruamano, who is supposed to have accompanied the Takitimu canoe during its long voyage, and the carvings symbolising the sea are similar to those on our Auckland museum house, "Hotunui."

At the back wall is a remarkable pillar carved to represent Toi-Ivai-Kakau at the base, Awanui-a-Rangi in the middle, and Toroa at the top. Lantern slides illustrated each phase of the building.

A vote of thanks was carried by acclamation to Dr. Wadmore for his most scholarly address —describing each carving and its historical significance and thus forming a store-house of historical events for many centuries.