HISTORIC PROPERTY

Northern Advocate, 7 February 1934, Page 4

HISTORIC PROPERTY

WAUANGI WHARE RUNANGA

inaugural occasion FOUNDATION FIRMLY SET GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S ADDRESS •V.V Amidst a scene, combining the elements of natural grandeur and '■'t.y.- Hainan interest. His Excellency the .Governor-General, Lordßledisloe, yesterday,.' afternoon conducted the foundation •, ceremony pertaining to the,Whare! runanga which is to be erected to the XHI . Treaty House on *he Waitangi Estate, and in an impressive ad- :: dress reviewed the history of the two races in New Zealand from s*;, the period of white settlement, and spoke in highly encouraging , terias;of the future.

due ceremonial at its initiation.be observed.

ed, ere the ladies of this locality venture to, pass the portals of the whare n.nanga, into which no doubt later on they will be most warmly welcomed when the prescribed rites have been performed.

INSPIRING SPEECH

' DEEP GRATITUDE *•: : ngapuhi generosity. RACIAL COMRADESHIP. (Special to "Northern- Advocate.") WAITANGI, Tlfis Day. His Excellency the Governor-Gen-eral, at the ceremony associated Avith the foundation of the.whare runanga yesterday, addressed the vast assemblage of Maoris and Pakehas in the following terms:

“Befoie responding to the invitation which has been extended to me in such felicitous and gratifying terms, I desire, on behalf of the Waitangi National. Trust, to express our, deep gratitude. for the many valuable con-tributions^-which. hayebeen' made by generous and patriotic friends toward the .restoration, and equipment of this historic property: But for the; money contributions of a little group of gem erous- dbttors, eormpicuous among Wh° m was the late if3ir Alfredßankart, the ibid British' Residency, 1 Treaty House, which was in a sadly dilapidated condition- up to a year ago, could not have been restored ,to the ; condition in which- you see.itr today. . “To the abounding generosity of the Ngapuhi tribe of Maoris we . owe not merely /the project of this fine whare runanga about to be erected on this site, but also the purirl fencing which for four miles forxns the boundary of the Trust Estate, the mainmast of the new flagstaff, and other like .gifts; .the, Maoris of the South Island have contributed, .a handsome carved totara ‘ ‘Coronation! ; ■Chair; and, a

beautiful Mock of greenstone to rest beneath it, and those of Taranaki have - . sent a painting depicting* the signing of the Treaty. For other gifts too ' ' numerous to specify we are grateful to_ their kind donors. , v /‘lnvaluable services have, however, been willingly and gratuitously rendered by our. various honorary advisory committees. We are especially indebted to our honorary architects, Messrs Summer and Page, who have devoted an’immense amount of time and trouble to the difficult task of rostor- ; ~ ing the old Residency and improving . its surroundings, and to Mr Lindsay Buick, the eminent historian of the ... Treaty# ..both for. organising, the> pictor- / ial- adornment of. the- museum and for . his ever-ready expert advice. Mi T. '.7: C. Ooldie’s generous gift to me of his recently-painted picture of Tamati ,! ~. Waka None has enabled the Treaty .A ' House . to possess a 1 striking portrait of •' that most' valiant Maori warrior and champion of the Treaty, and at the same time one of the finest works of art ever executed by that talented artist, 1

“Finally, I should like to express ;7 , .onrewarm.; appreciation of the valuable

' assistance afforded by the Government VV-in. many directions, but especially in . providing'easy access to this estate from the south by bridging over the > tifeitangi River" and by undertaking ‘to construct over four miles of motor roads on the property, so as to enable 1 all its more important features to be visited, including the hills in its rear, ‘-command*-;-: such •magnificent ,Views over the Bay of Islands, with / .numerous points of historic intcr- ‘' estV ■Special Significance, “I am pleased to accede to your re- * cpiest to initiate the construction of your commemorative whare runanga in accordance with the ancient and traditional ritual of our Maori people. To. the ancient Maori, the erection of a • house, great or km all, was an uhdertaking* of '.high(importance and special significance, for, according to Maori . tradition, the art of building was demi-god ancestors. Let its impor.tcontinue to be recognised and

served. ‘‘The Maori race need never be ashamed of its architecture and mural decoration if they conform to the old tradition. We who have our roots in British soil, may have brought to this fair land so abundantly beautified by Nature the blessings of civilisation and of the Christian faith, but who can truthfully say that our taste in buildings has exceeded that of the native race or that our ancestors have blended' with the beauties of your mountains, your lakes and your incomparable native bush, more fittingly than those, of our dark-skinned compatriots? Let the. Maori people learn more of the structural skill and the symbolical handicraft which distinguished their forefathers, and let us, too, as apt. fellow-students, profit by such research and instruction as are now available for our guidance and enlightenment, In this connection let us, while deploring the passing from our midst of that eminent ethnologist, Mr Elsdon Best, recognise with deep gratitude his monumental labours in the .field of Maori mythology and Maori art. : Ancient Ideals. “The building of such. a house as is here •contemplated would naturally iu days of old be a matter , of special significance, for . .it would become sacred as the repository of the knowledge of things spiritual and of the wisdom of the sagas, which through the devoted labours of the tohungas was handed down from one generation to another without interpolation - , omission or deterioration.. Here, also, would, be discussed by .the elders in sequence the significance of passing events, and here would be reached decisions which would find their modern equivalent in the policies of Parliamentarians. Perhaps the subject of debate would be the problem of building a great canoe, .a marriage alliance, or even the alternatives of peace or war; but, whatever its purport, it was invariably a matter of fateful import to the tribe. “No trivialities would be introduced within the hallowed walls of an oldworld whare runanga. It was deemed essential to begin'such a building with precise accuracy, and to finish it promptly. It was considered unlucky, I am told, to commence the ‘erection of a building on one site and thereafter to transfer it to another. This was regarded as an unwarranted interference with Papa the Earth Mother, and -vyould-in due course carry with it inevitable misfortune. It was equally imperative to success that the builders should work at their task industriously, and consistently, being careful not , to divide,: their attention between their - building activities and. other occupations. These two ancient rules I would now heartily commend to bur Waitangi builders, for in all human enterprises it is always aclvisvisable t to make a good beginning, and never to grow weary in well doing. Feminine Distractions. “It was, 1 am informed, one of the ancient rules that no woman was permitted to enter or even to, wander near a building’in course of . Construction. Such an indiscreet intrusion would, it. is said, result in a falling off iu energy, in a. growing listlessness on the part of the workmen, and if persisted in might even result ; in the house never being completed. Needless to say, in the present case,, such a termination to our high hopes would be disastrous, and if such beliefs still prevail, 1 would beg the ladies of Ngapulii to refrain from distracting by their charms the builders of this meeting house while their task is still in progress. Ladies of all nations are credited, rightly or wrongly, with inquisitiveness, or the possession of an inquiring mind of special alertness. Put, in view of this fateful tradition, I would venture to suggest that the centre post be reared, the ridge pole be raised, the carved pillars be placed in position, the panels be w r oven, and the purifying ceremonies be perform-

“There was also in .olden times, 1 am told, a curious reluctance to repair any part of an existing building, especially its roof, and that a new house would often be built in preference to repairing an old one. A man is said to have excused himself from the task of repair by saying that it was impossible to mend a hole in the roof of his house when it was raining, and that there was no need to do so when the weather was fine. I trust, however, that no such dilatoriness will ever characterise the leaders of Ngapuhi in the erection of this stately edifice. Future Safeguards. “Much as wo may revere the past, with its quaint traditions and prejudices, experience teaches us that procrastination is the thief of time and that undue delay is not true economy. It is, moreover, sincerely to be hoped that those responsible for the upkeep of this building, when it is erected, will have outlived that spirit of neglect and indifference which so frequently allows noble and classic structures of this description to fall into disrepair and premature decay. Nothing so loudly proclaims the decadence or deterioration of any community as the shabby and neglected condition of its buildings. If they are national buildings—-such, as this will much more significant is the talc that they tell. “As this is to be a wlxare runanga in a sense typical of the finest' Maori traditions, let the Maori people make it their corporate responsibility, when it has passed out of the builders’ hands, that those in whose custody it is placed do not allow decay to obtain the mastery through subsequent neglect. Let them take vigilant care lest that which will without doubt be the pride of its public-spirited donors, its designers /and its craftsmen, and wMcli should be the admiration of visitors from all parts of the world, become ultimately derelict or dilapidated. , “I- sincerely hope that the public sentiment and generous enthusiasm which have called this project into being will be sufficiently strong to maintain the house when finished in a state of beauty and efficiency, 'and that it will for many years to come remain a centre of peace, unity and concord to a warm-hearted, sym-

pathetic people who in the past have suffered materially through lack of

harmony and mutual co-operation,

Loftiest Conceptions,

“This is destined to be an historic structure. Let those whose brilliant conception it is endeavour to typify in it the nobility of the Maori race, enshrining 1 within its walls all that is heist and loftiest in their ideals, and thus provide a fitting rendezvous to which their people can resort on occasions of national rejoicing or national mourning. It w r ill, let us hope, provide a common meeting ground where old feuds will be forgotten and new friendships will be forged, where national issues can be debated, and where national problems can be approached from the Maori standpoint and explored in such a way as to assist the Pakeha in fully understanding and appreciating the Maori mind. Above all, let it be a centre where pride of race will be fostered and expanded, where Maori culture will be developed, where the Maori language in all its soft and melodious beauty will bo perpetuated, and where a definite impetus will be given tc characteristic Maori arts and crafts. “In fine, let it be a building worthy of its great purpose, a noble structure, essentially and exclusively Maori, faithfully wrought, carefully preserved and'nationally honoured as a fitting and dignified memorial to the Treaty of Waitangi—the treaty which still stands inviolate as the Magna Oliarta of Maori rights, the historic compact which saved to the Maori people their much-prized freedom, and preserved for them their no less cherished national prestige. Looking Forward.

“In fine, let it be a building worthy of its great purpose, a noble structure, essentially and exclusively Maori, faithfully wrought, carefully preserved and'nationally honoured as a fitting and dignified memorial to the Treaty of Waitangi—the treaty which still stands inviolate as the Magna Oharta of Maori rights, the historic compact which saved to the Maori people their much-prized freedom, and preserved for them their no less cherished national prestige. Looking Forward. “Henceforward there will stand, in close proximity, looking out over this lovely bay, the old British Residency, restored by the skill of our honorary architects (Messrs Gummer and Page) to its pristine condition and appearance, this mooting house with its carved facade, exemplifying modern' Maori art and symbolising the fraternal reunion of the Maori people in this territory, and yonder flagstaff carrying at its summit the honoured emblem of British sovereignty.

“May not this triple association of significant structures on this hallowed spot be deemed, at this crisis in the history of the world, to typify the determination of our two races in this highly-favoured Dominion, whose joint

heritage it is, to cultivate harmony and mutual understanding both among themselves and with each other, and ‘as trustful comrades to march forward together with confidence and hope, with the standard of Imperial freedom floating overhead, to an assured future of unbroken prosperity, contentment and peace such as our forefathers who mot on this inarae 91 years ago could not, in their wildest dreams, have foreseen. At least, such is my fervent hope and prayer, as I now formally declare the foundations of this meeting house to be well and truly laid.”