Fully Carved Meeting House for Hutt Valley

Te Ao Hou, October 1956, Page 60

Fully Carved Meeting House for Hutt Valley It is hoped that the building of a £20,000 fully carved meeting house at Waiwhetu can start this summer. So far £8,000 have been raised by Maori effort over a period of ten years. It is intended to instal in this meeting house the fine slabs carved for the New Zealand Centennary celebrations in 1940. An appeal right through the Hutt Valley to be held from 22 October until November 1 will, it is hoped, provide the remainder of the money needed. European help will be given on a large scale. Patron of the appeal committee is the Hon E. B. Corbett, and the chairman is the Rt Hon W. Nash, M. P. for Hutt. Under Mr Nash's chairmanship, a number of Maori concerts have been organized in various halls in the Hutt Valley and about 1000 canvassers, both European and Maori, will visit every home in the valley on the evening of November 1 to collect money. The Junior Chamber of Commerce, helped by local Maori workers (Rev Manu Bennet, Messrs I. P. Puketapu, N. Gilbert, V. Winitana) are organizing the canvas. Press, radio, and advertising through posters, hoardings and other means will support the campaign. Initiator of the appeal is Mr Ihaia Puketapu, elder of Atiawa. He intends also to seek the help of other tribes in establishing a Maori centre in the Wellington area, where it is likely that many nation-wide Maori gatherings of the future will be held.