ROTORUA MAORIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23078, 1 July 1938, Page 16

ROTORUA MAORIS

j" - .'CENTENNIAL PLANS HISTORIC MEETING HOUSES RE-ERECTION PROPOSED 'EACH TO COST OVER £3OOO £»t telegraph—OWN correspondent] / ROTORUA, Thuriday A decision has been reached by tho Ngati-whakaue and the Tuhourangi .tribe -to rebuild the two historic Afawa meeting houses, Tamatekapua, at Ohinernutu, and Wahiao, at Whakarewarewa. The reconstruction, which will probably entail an expenditure of over £3OOO on each building, is exv pected 1(3 be commenced at a fairly early date, and it is hoped that the .work will be completed in time for the official opening to form one of the major; Maori celebrations of the commemoration of the New Zealand centennial in 1940. Of the two existing meeting houses Tamatekapua is by far the oldest and for the past 74 years has been the scene'of many historic gatherings. The original building was erected during 1872 as a memorial to that great an- ! cestor of the tribe,' Tamatekapua, who was the captain of "the-'Arawa canoe on its vovge • from Hawaiki to New Zealand. .. Preservation 0! Oarvingß The carvings were executed by six descendants of Tamatekapua—Hauiti* Ponawahiao Pango, Hamuera Pangoj Taupau Te Whanoa, Petera Te Pukuatua and Ngahuruhuru. These carvings, ■which are to-day in excellent condition, will be re-erected in the new Jjuilding. The ownership of the site occupied fey the meeting house is also being investigated with the object of having it permanently vested in Ngatiwhakaue. Tamatekapua has been the scene of several welcomes to members of the : Royal Family, and it is the jnarae upon which for years the Arawa people have extended their welcomes ,to successive Governors-General and Prime Ministers of the Dominion. . ,' .'* Hlnemoa's Brother The Wahiao meeting house was erseted about 34 years ago as a memorial to another great ancestor of the Arawa people, Wahiao, who lived 10 generations ago, and was a brother of Hinemoa. The responsibility for tho erection of jfcho meeting house rested with the late picturesque elder of the tribe, Meta Taupopoki, who was the original owner Of the land upon which it was erected «nd irhose death about four years ago ■was followed by one of the. largest tanjps which had been held in the ißotorua district for many years. Upon Ilia death his daughter, Kanea, gifted the aTea upon which the meeting house is erected to the people as a permanent site for the main meeting house of the Tuhourangi tribe. , ' nucleus ot Fund. ' • . < The new meeting house which it is proposed to erect will be 72ft. long and 34ft. wide, which is slightly larger than the present structure. I ortunately all the carvings, which were executed bv Iharaia Piripi, husband of Kanea, and Hune Pitini. are a.so still in good condition, enabling, much ot „ the tradition' of the old . buildmg to be included in. the one which it » proposed should take its T>J ac °: » The Whakarewarewa Maoris have for some time, past been, establishing a fund fc for the eventual rebuilding of their meeting house, and it is understood that lie total already approximates Certain other resources are also available.