Kaitoki Marae an enduring gift acknowledging Māori soldiers who served overseas

Kaitoki Memorial Hall was built as a memorial to Māori soldiers in Dannevirke and serves as a permanent memorial for the Kaitoki community.

Kaitoki Marae is located on the corner of Kaitoki River Rd and Weber Rd, on a block of land that was formerly owned by Mrs Ripeka Lilo, also known as Mary Lilo.

Mary had a whare there and in 1944, wanting to honour the Māori who had fought in both World Wars, she applied to the Native Land Court to gift her land and whare for this purpose.

In 1945 this was achieved with a court order which “… set aside as a Māori reservation for the common use of the Ngāti-Pakapaka tribe as a site for a meeting house and a memorial for Māori soldiers of the Dannevirke district”. The recognition was not only for Ngāti Pakapaka but for the hapū to acknowledge soldiers from local non-Māori families too, especially those living in and near the Kaitoki settlement. Mary’s generous gift provides a permanent memorial for the Kaitoki community to remember their men each Anzac Day.

Prior to 2006, a war memorial plaque with the names of local Māori and Pākehā soldiers was displayed on the back wall of the whare. The plaque sustained damage over the years and so in 2005 the decision was made to commission a new one.

The commemorative plaque at Kaitoki, near Dannevirke.

In 2006, Ngāti Pakapaka undertook some major preparations to commemorate Anzac Day at Kaitoki Marae. Part of the commemorations included the unveiling of a newly carved plaque to replace the original. The preparation of the new plaque involved numerous hours of research with the NZ Army and talking to the families of soldiers. Existing names on the old plaque needed to be transposed to the new and families of soldiers who had since passed away needed to be involved for their loved ones’ names to be included. The main research was undertaken by the late Mana Tawhai, Roger Rautahi, Lorraine Stephenson and Chrissy Karena. Wiremu Hauraki, a local carver, was commissioned to carve the new plaque.

More than 200 people attended the 2006 Anzac Day commemorations at Kaitoki. Participating in the day alongside Ngāti Pakapaka were the families of soldiers, Dannevirke RSA, Tararua District Council and a contingent from the NZ Defence Force. A full service was prepared in line with the protocols of an Anzac Day commemoration but also important was keeping to the marae tikanga (protocols). A successful example of Māori culture and coming together with a national commemoration. The day concluded with a hākari (celebration feast) and waiata prepared and performed by Ngāti Pakapaka.

Kaitoki Marae has held annual activities over the years since, with these activities planned to follow the dawn service held by the RSA in town. Te Kura Kauapapa Māori o Tamaki nui-ā-Rua have been avid visitors to the marae on Anzac Day along with other locals, taking part in a much smaller scale of service.

This year, Kaitoki Marae and the Memorial Hall will be open to visitors and whānau wanting to pay their respects and commemorate Anzac Day, a service will be held at 10am with light refreshments to follow. Nau mai, Haere mai.