I ask Kara Kire to share the history or inception of Te Aranga Marae. She has been involved right from the beginning with the organising (mataatua) committee. This organising committee, where people came and went over a period of many years, was charged with finding funding, the appropriate site and dealing with bureaucracy. Before we start on our business - one has to admire Kara's haircut and her gorgeous red top. Styley Kara Kire.
Kara is originally from Opotiki, 32km towards Ohope. Her mother, a Turei from Tiki Tiki, and her father from Tuhoe. Her nursing background found her eventually working at a nursing home in Murupara. Forestry work took families to Murupara but she claimed there was not much for women to do. Women came to Hawke's Bay to pick fruit.
Her nine brothers and two sisters all moved to Hawke's Bay. Her family gained employment with the freezing works. She tells me that coming to Hawke's Bay at that time was like coming to a province of "milk and honey". Lots of food, and houses were cheap. Her family originally stayed at Waipatu where, she describes, there were families that lived in tin caravans with chimneys.
Her family was placed at the top of the list for a State Advances house in Raureka. They later moved to a State house in Flaxmere. She remembers the houses being of good quality and warm. She said if people had $2000, families were given the opportunity to purchase or rent to own.
This deal was available for everyone and gave people the opportunity to buy their first home. (Interesting to learn this when we are currently looking at Flaxmere Housing NZ houses). When the works closed down and people could not pay their mortgages, HNZ bought the houses back.
