New buildings that have risen at Te Kia Ora Marae near the Kaipara Harbour north of Auckland replaced those lost in a fire just over two decades ago.
Te Kurataiaho Kapea, a Ngāti Rango kaumātua, said the marae buildings were rebuilt after the 2002 fire when the wharekai and wharenui were lost.
The new structures at the marae 12km north of Kaukapakapa are solar-powered.
Ngāti Rango is a hapū of Ngāti Whātua, whose rohe once stretched from the Kaipara to South Auckland. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei deputy chairman Ngarimu Blair said in last year’s Whenua series by the Herald: “We were almost wiped out – now we’re back.”
Kapea said the marae redevelopment is state-of-the art with solar panels on the roof of its wharekai.
The reopening on November 2 was shown on an episode of Waka Huia on TV One last month.
The development was a significant step for the hapū and created a legacy.
“I was the cultural lead for this new marae, leading the space of Tikanga, history, whakapapa and the three wananga to name the buildings,” Kapea said.
“It was a great experience to be a part of the re-establishment of our marae and being a part of bringing our people together for Ngāti Rango and our future aspirations.
“The new marae is a beautiful expression of shared heritage with the wharenui dedicated to tūpuna, Rango and the wharekai named after his wife, Tarawāmoa of Te Roroa according to the hapū.
AA Solar said it had designed and installed a 30kW grid-tied photovoltaic system at the marae.
It put in 64 panels of 455W as well as inverters to create the systems, supported by an on-site generator.
“This new marae now has state-of-the-art water, gas and solar infrastructure to support a large local whanau and is set to become the central hub of the community. The marae was a recipient of the cultural initiative fund for marae and papakainga/Maori housing development in Tamaki Makaurau,” AA Solar said.
Kaumātua Richard Nahi and Walter Ashby featured on the Waka Huia documentary, screened on January 26.
Nahi is known for his dedication to hāngī, having spent 45 years doing and teaching the practice. With the opening of Te Kia Ora marae, he was shown passing down this mātauranga to the next generation.
The marae at 2269-2271 Kaipara Coast Highway is near the Gibbs Farm and its sculpture park. Te Kia Ora Marae Trust held a fundraising event at the Gibbs Farm last October.
“Te Kia Ora Marae is one of the local marae to Gibbs Farm, which rests within our tribal boundaries of Ngāti Rango. We are grateful that Gibbs Farm has generously provided us this opportunity to raise funds towards our opening day. Therefore, for the first time, we are offering a unique look into the local Māori history through the oratory of our kaumatua Richard Nahi,” advertising for the October event said.
Henry Backhouse-Smith of Swanson-based B.H.S. Builders said his company took over partly built structures from a former contractor around 2018 and finished the buildings.
“A lot of the works were building interconnecting buildings from the wharetipuna and the wharekai. Work also went into the wharepaku and infrastructure that made the marae buildings functional like the septic tank, plumbing, electrical, floor coverings, installing the kitchen, peripheral works around the exterior, gas supply and ancillary buildings,” he said.
Auckland Council had partly funded some of the works.
The redevelopment work which B.H.S. Builders did cost around $1.7 million in total, Backhouse-Smith said.
Works were finished towards the end of 2022.
“But there wasn’t enough money to complete all the works in one go and open it two years ago, so the marae trust board had to organise further funding to finish it off,” he said.
Debra Brewer of Ngāti Rango was a driving force behind completion, Backhouse-Smith said.
Brewer said in 2010 she travelled to the marae, prompted to visit with her father. The buildings had been erected yet they were unfinished.
“There wasn’t a lot happening”. She approached Rodney Council and Auckland Council and said authorities knew work had stalled and wanted it re-started.
“Once I got into applying for funding, people understood how long we’d been struggling to get things going and were passionate to help us,” she said.
The hapū spent more than $1m on its carpark but all up, sourced $4m for the work, she said.
Te Tari Taiwhenua Internal Affairs, Pūtea Hāpai Oranga Foundation North, Te Puna Kōkiri and Auckland Council were the main funders, she said.
In 2023, Kapea, Ngarimu Blair and Taiaha Hawke were praised as Ngāti Whātua men having “impeccable style”, featuring on Tiktok as making their presence felt at Te Matatini.
Blair said they were dressed respectfully, just as their tūpuna had been.
Their appearance featured in the Herald which reported on a video recorded during the pōwhiri and set to rapper 50 Cent’s 2003 hit P.I.M.P. which showed the men and other senior figures in the Tāmaki Makaurau iwi in suits and hats. Commenters said the look was “giving Te Māori Peaky Blinders vibe”‘.
Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei deputy chair Ngarimu Blair told the Herald the TikTok video appealed to the youth. “All I can say is my teenagers now think I’m cool. We just think it important if we are on the front line we must be physically, mentally and intellectually ready for anything that comes our way. We can only do that if we have our beautiful wāhine and whānau supporting us too.”
“Presenting well is all to honour our amazing tūpuna who we love and respect so much.”
In Tāmaki Makaurau, Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei late last year opened the new $20m 24-unit papa kāinga, Hawaiki, exclusively for hapū members.
Grant Kemble, Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei Whai Rawa chief executive, said Hawaiki was particularly significant for Ngāti Whātua.
“Some people can’t remember anyone in their family owning a home,” he said of the places in four blocks and 13 homes, developed on Whai Rawa land after Ngāti Whātua Ōākei bought it from the state.
That land is leased to homeowners on a 150-year term without any annual leasehold payments. Removing the land from the purchase price made the new homes more affordable.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 24 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
In-house legal teams at Fonterra and US giants have signed on.