TE ORE ORE CARVED MEETING-HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 1, 26 September 1939, Page 6

TE ORE ORE CARVED MEETING-HOUSE

Last Of Kind In Wairarapa

ETHNOLOGICAL TREASURE LOST TO DISTRICT

One of the ethnological treasures of the AVairarapa, the carved Maori meeting-house at Te Ore Ore, Masterton, which was destroyed by fire at the weekend, was the last house of its type in the district. Its importance to students of Maori carving was emphasized yesterday by Mr. AV. J. Phillips, of the Dominion Museum, who has made a study of the house. Mr. Phillips visited the house last year to study it, and photographic records were made for tbe Dominion Museum collection by Mr. J. T. Salmon.

The house was built in 1878. It was very large, 96ft. long and 30ft. wide, and was decorated with remarkblyfine carving on the exterior and with native weaving and painted designs within.

It was called “Nga Tau e AVaru,” or Eight Years. AVhen it was being built under the direction of the prophet Te Potangaroa, an important chief named Te Kere found himself unable to work in agreement with Te Potangaroa, and in withdrawing uttered the prophecy, “It will be eight years before this house is finished.” Actually it was only a year in the building, but the name stuck. The carvers were led by Tamati Aorere, of the Ngati Kahungunu tribe, and Taepa, of the Arawa. Both tribal traditions were discernible in the designs as well as certain unique local developments. This historic house was to have been restored and renovated by the Te Ore Ore Natives as a centennial memorial, and they had for some time been eagerly collecting funds to carry out the necessary improvements and repairs. The loss, said Mr. Phillips, would be a serious disappointment to the local Natives.

The only other carved house comparable with Nga Tau e -AVaru was that which formerly stood at Martinborough and was known as Takitumu. It, too, was destroyed by fire, about 10 years ago. The Museum has on file old photographs of this house, enlargements of which reveal noteworthy variations in the traditional carving designs. There are still about a dozen small carved houses in the Wairarapa, but of much less importance. Some of these have already been recorded by the camera and notebook of the ethnolo--gists, but the remainder have yet to be investigated.