Article image
Article image

A magnificent greenstone mere of the great Ngati Toa chief, Te Rauparaha, has been presented by the Wineera family of Porirua to the Dominion Museum, Wellington. Te Rauparaha died at Otaki in 1849 after a life of adventure and conquest. The Wineera family are five generations removed from Te Rauparaha, and are his only living descendants. The name of the patu pounamu is Tuhiwai. It is 16 inches long and estimated to be worth several hundred pounds. It was believed by some to possess very special qualities of divination, for it was said to become a light green colour as an omen of good and dark green as an omen of evil. History took an ironic twist in Taupo when the future of the old courthouse was being settled. From serving the Armed Constabulary during the closing stages of the Maori Wars, the old building has come down through the hands of the Justice Department into the care of the Taupo-nui-a-Tia Maori Youth Club.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/TAH196306.2.10.1

Bibliographic details

Te Ao Hou, June 1963, Page 20

Word Count
164

Untitled Te Ao Hou, June 1963, Page 20

Untitled Te Ao Hou, June 1963, Page 20