Mr Booth said it was the first time the council had held its formal monthly meeting at the marae, and was also the first time at the site for some of the council visitors. Also at the historic event on Wednesday was Mr Devonshire, Kahungunu ki Wairarapa chief executive, and Mihi Namana, Hurunui-O-Rangi Marae committee chairwoman and kuia, marae kuia Lou Cook, and a corps of marae members.
Mr Booth said he had enjoyed the sharing of personal histories ahead of the council meeting and the recounting of links to the district and the region.
"What was amazing were all the different connections within Carterton and the Wairarapa, with families going way back, and all the different things that have happened, the history. It was very special."
Mr Booth is the third in his wider family to be mayor of Carterton.
His great-grandfather Alfred Booth had farmed near the original site of the Hurunui-O-Rangi Marae and was a founding member of Carterton Borough Council and mayor from 1891 to 1892.
Another family member, William Howard Booth, was mayor of the town from 1919 to 1923.
His great-grandfather had settled Middlerun farm neighbouring the marae and his family had over six generations farmed land in the area, where he was still farming himself. His bond to the land runs as deep as any.
"I come here and I feel like I'm at home," he said.
"I grew up with the Ruamahanga, grew up with all this, used to flog the wild cherries from the tree over from the pa. And they knew.
"It's a very special thing for me, and for our council, to be reconnecting, and all over New Zealand it's starting to happen. People are realising we share our history and that we are, literally, one people."
He said marae representatives were to have helped welcome eight new Kiwis to Carterton at their naturalisation ceremony last night and he hoped another formal council meeting would be held sometime during the coming summer "when it's warmer".
Mrs Namana said marae members and trustees were overjoyed the council were holding the historic meeting on the marae and the relationship between the organisations was moving from strength to strength.
"We will always be part and parcel of the one community - Hurunui-O-Rangi Marae, the Ngati Kaiparuparu hapu and the council - over those areas of Carterton, Gladstone and Te Whiti."
Mrs Namana said marae members and trustees were grateful as well for an annual contribution of $10,000 the council had earmarked for Hurunui-O-Rangi in the authority's long-term plan.
Mr Booth yesterday handed over a cheque to Mrs Namana for the annual amount.
During the public forum section of the meeting, Mrs Namana submitted to the council that two representatives from the marae, Mr Devonshire and Mrs Cook, should attend the full council meetings in future in advisory roles. Mr Booth said the suggestion would be discussed.
According to the late Mita Carter, a Wairarapa Maori historian, Hurunui-o-Rangi has its marae named "Tapi Tapi" meaning to patch up.
It was formerly the kainga, or home, of Keeti Namana.
The pa was built in the 1800s and was pallisaded. Mr Carter placed Hurunui-O-Rangi under Rangitaane, Hamua, Ngati Parera and Ngati Kahungunu.
