tribal delegations from many parts of the country, including Parihaka, Waikato, Northland and the East Coast, travelled to Papawai to discuss new government proposals to put an end to the land troubles. Richard Seddon, the New Zealand premier, and King Mahuta, leader of the Waikato tribes, were among those present, and the meeting was one of the largest held in the colony for a long time.

Population of Three Thousand It is said that during these years, Papawai had a population of as much as 3,000. It had its own bakery and stores, and as it was the home of the ‘Maori Parliament’, it was known to its supporters as the ‘Maori capital’. But the land on which the settlement's prosperity depended was gradually sold. After the death of Hoani Rangitakaiwaho in 1909, the greatness of Papawai began to fade. Tamahau Mahupuku, who for 20 years had been the most influential chief in the Wairarapa, died in 1904. Seven years later a handsome memorial to him was unveiled. Nearly 20 feet high, it has a massive dome and a heavy cornice supported by four corinthian columns. Between the columns were bronze panels depicting symbolic scenes, and a marble slab with a funeral inscription. The monument is still there today, but it is stripped of its glamorous facade. The main meeting-house blew down in a gale in 1934, and only Hikurangi and the carved figures remain today. If they are to be preserved, both the house and the figures urgently need to be repaired. This question has been much discussed, but opinions were divided as to what should be done. However there are now signs of a new interest in the matter, and Papawai's historic remains may yet be preserved to speak of the past to a new generation.