Te Whare Runanga (Meeting House) - Waitangi, Northland, New Zealand
S 35° 15.904 E 174° 04.913
60H E 234539 N 6093656
Te Whare Runanga is a fully carved Maori Meeting House, which is representative of all Iwi (regional tribes) in New Zealand.
Waymark Code: WMGFGY
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 02/27/2013
Views: 7
The following information is from Waitangi Treaty Grounds' official website and paihia.co.nz.
Te Whare Runanga is a fully carved Maori Meeting House, which is representative of all Iwi (regional tribes) in New Zealand. It is one of several prominent features of Waitangi Treaty Grounds House.
Sir Apirana Ngata pointed out that a carved meeting house (Whare Runanga) should be built at Waitangi by Maori to commemorate the centennial anniversary in 1940 of the signing of the Treaty. Building began in 1934 and the result is unique.
Unlike most Whare Runanga which are built as a monument to a particular tribe and their ancestors, this one contains carvings representing tribes from all over New Zealand.
Both Whare Runanga (meeting house) and marae (grassed area in front) form an important part of Maori culture, with strict protocol governing proceedings and behaviour. The meeting house often symbolically represents a notable ancestor and carvings and tuku tuku (woven panels) within the house record the stories of the people. The apex of the roof represents the ancestor's head, the ridge pole his back bone, the bargeboards his arms, the rafters inside represents the ribs, and the interior his chest.
Visit Instructions:
If possible post a photo of yourself and your GPSr next to the site otherwise a photo of your GPSr and the waymark.