Hakatere Marae history
The building and the land now known as Hakatere Marae on State Highway One at Fairton was originally the site of the Fairton Primary School which celebrated its centennial in 2001. The school building was transported from Newlands and placed on the Fairton site in 1902. It was officially opened as the Newlands School on 1 February, 1880.
Until it was destroyed by arsonists in June, 2003, it was regarded as the oldest school building in the district still in public use. Constructed of kauri timber and with the steeply-pitched roof and high windows of the late 1800s the building had a porch at each end, a fireplace along the back wall and was, in the beginning a one-teacher school. Alterations included folding doors to divide the school into two rooms and another fireplace in the second room. During the late 1960s a new Fairton School was built in the township leaving the old school abandoned.
Grounds a tangled jungle
Abandoned as a school in 1969 the 90 year old building was rapidly deteriorating and the grounds which had won the McFarlane Shield for rural school gardens were overgrown with weeds, grass and scrub. The bushes were a tangled jungle choked with long grass.
Where the toilets had been dismantled were heaps of rubble. The septic tank was full of concrete and rubbish. Old school desks and broken forms were dumped in the back shed.
Birds had taken over the building, making their nests in the ventilators and flying in and out of the broken windows. There was a tap and a sink in the front porch but no other kitchen facilities. The folding doors were boarded up, the paint work was peeling off and the floors were bare and dirty.
Option to buy property
This was the state of the building in 1970 when the Mid Canterbury Maori Committee, chaired by Riki Ellison, acquired a five-year lease with the option to buy. For the newly formed Hakatere Marae Committee the price was $2224, not much by today’s prices but a new house cost $6000 then. Hakatere had to raise about $1000 and received a grant from the Timaru Trust for the rest.
But before purchase the toilet and kitchen facilities had to be reinstated, the grounds cleaned up, all by a small group of young people with families and mortgages. The dilemma they faced was to raise funds without facilities and not being able to build facilities without funds.
First task was to build a long-drop toilet while funds were raised for the toilet block. Hours and hours of work by individuals and working bees went into clearing dead trees, scrub and overgrown bushes as well as the never-ending job of mowing the lawns and grounds of the 4.5 acres.
Cake stalls, bottle drives, major and small raffles, concerts, rock concerts and regular dances for teenagers in the old Radiant Hall, catering for weddings and 21sts all helped towards raising funds.
In 1973 the first celebration of Waitangi Day was held with an evening ceremony. In 1974 a ‘New Zealand Day’ was held with demonstrations of culture, craft and a hangi meal.
Maori Women’s Welfare League
Meanwhile in 1960 a branch of the Maori Women’s Welfare League was formed under the name of Mania-o-Roto and sponsored by the Taumutu branch, Lake Ellesmere. This was the beginning of a close relationship between Taunutu and Hakatere The new branch then changed its name to Hakatere, the original name of the river.
Mrs Mere Clayton was the first branch president and she along with other members felt that a cultural group would bring families together, to foster knowledge of Maoritanga and provide a sense of whanau among the families who had come to Ashburton from the North Island.
That group became the Hakatere Maori Youth Club with a constitution, a club motto ’Hapai-tia-ra’, and a club badge of two green mere crossed on a white background and the motto beneath. The club performed at hundreds of functions, entertaining and fund-raising, and competed in cultural competitions at South Island venues until it went into recess and was wound up in 1977.
The club meetings had been held in many different places: Hampstead Hall Community Centre, the Railway Hall and the Coronation Rifle Club rooms. Hakatere was becoming a whanau, a hapu but had no home.
Taumutu had always shown an interest in Hakatere and when the kaumatua for Taumutu and paramount chief of the South Island Riki Te Mairaki Taiaroa-Ellison discovered that the old Fairton School was empty he saw it as a possibility as a marae for Hakatere.
He contacted Hakatere kaumatua, Archie Keepa and the then president of the marae committee, Lehi Meha and the marae committee.
The Mid Canterbury Maori Committee was formed with Riki Ellison as the first president.
Waitangi Day celebrations
The 1975 Waitangi Day event was celebrated by the whole community with Ashburton Borough councilors and the Mayor taking part. Marching girls, dog obedience displays, a re-enactment of the signing of the Treaty and the raising of the flag, a Red Ensign given by a local First World War veteran made up the programme.
In 1976 Riki Ellison and Hakatere Marae trustees met the Assistant Commissioner of Crown Lands in Christchurch, where the area of land by then known as Hakatere Marae was gazetted as a Maori Reserve.
The six original elected trustees were Lehi Meha, Archie Keepa, Janet Benfell, Mason Tuki, Thelma Reid, and Bella Moore.
The Ashburton community has been very supportive of the marae and much goodwill has been fostered by the marae making its facilities available to Ashburton groups.
The MWWL, youth club and marae have received a tremendous amount of help over the years from pakeha genuinely interested in Maori culture and in ways of fostering a closer relationship and understanding between people.
Because marae members came from many different tribal areas it was necessary to develop a kawa that recognised the differences and portrayed a unified front that belonged to Hakatere alone. This kawa was put together at weekend gatherings when all the families met, ate, talked, sang and slept in the wharenui, strengthening the ties which still hold fast today.
Kia ora koutou katoa!
Na Janet Benfell, 2008
In 1986 a new kitchen-dining room was opened. When the marae was first formed the old school shelter shed was converted into a dining room, the ceiling and walls relined and old forms and broken chairs removed. Food was cooked in the school corridor which had a sink and a Zip. Many groups and personalities were welcomed there, among them Ministers of Maori Affairs, Matiu Rata and Duncan McIntyre, entertainers Prince Tui Teka and party and Eddie Low.
The new dining room was named Hine Paaka after the wife of Maru a noted Ngai Tahu chief and who is remembered by the name of a tapu tree, an ancient matai in the alford forest foothills.
This tree was a landmark for travellers along the foothills finding their way over the Whitcombe Pass to the West coast seeking greenstone. As an important food source it was revered for the number of birds available and also its mana as an ancient tree standing alone below the bush line.
Important dates
1970 Fairton School acquired for use as marae
1976 Hakatere Marae gazetted Maori Reserve
1976 Hine Paaka poumanawa ceremony at Alford Forest.
1979 Porch and carvings by Vince Leonard dedicated. Timber came
Marae trees blown down in 1975 storm.
1978-83 $12,000 raised for kitchen-dining room.
1981 Tiaria Keepa and Alistair Wilkie married at the marae on 9
February.
1986 Dining room-kitchen opened. Wharekai named Hine Paaka after
Historic matai tree at Alford Forest.
1986 Marae and Maori Committees amalgamated.
1987 Te Kohanga Reo begun.
1996 Tangi for Coral Jones, League, club and marae member,
Plunket nurse respected by all.
1997 Ashburton College whare whananga opened
2003 Death of kaumatu Archie Keepa. Very large tangi
2003 Wharenui destroyed by arson. New wharekai begun.
2007 Wharekai complete at cost of over $300,000.
2008 Road access and entrance widening completed -$60,000
2008 Hakatere Marae declared smokefree.
2009 Wharekai (Te Hapai O) opened on Waitangi Day.
Hakatere Marae complex expansion
On any marae the meeting house (wharenui) is considered the most significant building and it plays a vital role in addressing Māori protocol. The wharenui at Hakatere was destroyed by arson in June 2003. Fundraising is continuing for the new wharenui, its design following the traditional Māori meeting house style.
Meanwhile, upgrading of the marae complex continues with the completion of Te Hapai O the new building (pictured) which was opened on Waitangi Day, 2009. It includes conference/dining room, stage, kitchen and offices and a wharepaku (toilets and showers).
Much of the exterior carving work for the wharenui has already been completed by master carver Vince Leonard (pictured).
Hakatere Marae has a history of harmony, unity and strength in spite of the difficulties it has faced in past years. Janet Benfell
Hakatere and Hakatere Marae
From College of Education student research.
Definition: Lit. haka: the South Island form of whaka, the causative prefix that indicates action; tere: swift, i.e. to make swift or to flow smoothly. (Reed, 1975) Also the Māori name for the Ashburton River. Definition provided per Hakatere kaumātua Archie Keepa: haka: dance; tere: fast, referring to river. But other definitions are possible.
Early canoe travellers used Hakatere as a resting point and food gathering place. These included Rapuwai, Hawea, Waitaha moa hunters and Ngāi Tahu. The Deed of Recognition for Hakatere between The Queen and Te Rūnanga O Ngāi Tahu states – “the Hakatere was a major kai provider for Canterbury Ngāi Tahu, particularly those based at Kaiapoi Pa. The main foods taken from the river were tuna (eels), inaka (whitebait) and the giant kōkopu. Rats, weka, kiwi and waterfowl such as pūtakitaki (paradise duck) were also hunted along the river.
The mauri (special character) of Hakatere represents the essence that binds the physical and spiritual elements of all things together, generating and upholding all life. All elements of the natural environment possess a life force, and all forms of life are related.” Hakatere’s mountain link is to Mt Somers (Te Kiekie). The kiekie is a vine used for plaiting, kits, baskets etc.
There is history of past generations of people with links to a famous matai tree near Alford Forest called Hine-Paaka. It was named after the wife of Ngāi Tahu Chief Maru who lived in the 17th Century and was a leading figure in war and diplomacy as his tribe pushed down through the Canterbury plains from Kaikoura. The tree is a survivor of a pre Māori rain forest and was used for food and shelter. It played a major part in the annual bird snaring season of the Māori tribes who would set snares and climb the tree for pigeons and kaka. It was used as a beacon for early Māori travelers who would congregate there and take mana (strength) from its powerful source. Travellers would go from Hine Paaka over the Browning Pass and bring back greenstone at certain times of the year.
The Hine Paaka tree blew down in 1945 during a nor-west storm. In 1976 near the original site a wall and plaque with a piece of the original tree in it were erected together with a planting of a young matai. It is recognised as the only place in Mid Canterbury where Māori past has been preserved.
Legends associated with the area to explain the significance of particular land features include one related to a taniwha in the Rakaia Gorge called Tu Raki Hau Noa. Ashburton master carver Vince Leonard describes the taniwha as one of four good taniwha who kept the rivers clean. Because the nor-west wind demon came down through the gorge and stole all their food Tu Raki became angry. He pulled the gorge closer together and waited for the demons next visit. When the demon returned he found Tu Raki and was attacked, a fierce battle ensued. Tu Raki was the victor and sent the demon packing with instructions that the next time he returned to come with courtesy. The battle was so fierce that the sweat pouring off Tu Raki turned to crystals as it fell. This is why there are now crystals to be found in the river bed.
The Māori population of Ashburton County has never been large, though a small and transient population was encouraged by the Fairfield Freezing Works and in shearing gangs. A Māori Women’s Welfare League and a Youth Club were established in the 1960’s. In 1970 the Canterbury Māori Committee obtained a lease from the Government for the disused Fairton school building and established the Hakatere Marae. The name was given to reflect the name of the river. The building was brought five years later and the land is now a Māori Reserve (Britten, 1991). It is administered by the Hakatere Māori Komiti Trust. In 1986 a separate dining/kitchen wharekai was opened being named Hine Paaka after the historic matai tree.
As the marae’s members have come from many different tribal areas a kawa has been developed that recognises the differences and portray a unified front that belongs to Hakatere alone (Benfell, 2006).
A straight line has been recognised by a tohunga from the sea, through the verge of the boundary of the marae to the Hine Paka tree. The tohunga came to cleanse the marae and also identified the atua (calmest spot). Eventually the atua will have a monument and lilac roses on it as any spiritual workings are done from there (Leonard, 2006).
Hakatere Marae and Maori Women’s Welfare League members were closely involved in the establishment of a whare wananga at Ashburton College. The first teacher of Maori at the college was Mrs Mary Ann Meha, a league branch president and the Te Waipounamu regional representative. Hakatere branch had been instrumental in advocating night classes at the college and in supporting homework initiatives for students. Master carver Vince Leonard constructed all the carvings.
The building and the land now known as Hakatere Marae on State Highway One at Fairton was originally the site of the Fairton Primary School which celebrated its centennial in 2001. The school building was transported from Newlands and placed on the Fairton site in 1902. It was officially opened as the Newlands School on 1 February, 1880.
Until it was destroyed by arsonists in June, 2003, it was regarded as the oldest school building in the district still in public use. Constructed of kauri timber and with the steeply-pitched roof and high windows of the late 1800s the building had a porch at each end, a fireplace along the back wall and was, in the beginning a one-teacher school. Alterations included folding doors to divide the school into two rooms and another fireplace in the second room. During the late 1960s a new Fairton School was built in the township leaving the old school abandoned.
Grounds a tangled jungle
Abandoned as a school in 1969 the 90 year old building was rapidly deteriorating and the grounds which had won the McFarlane Shield for rural school gardens were overgrown with weeds, grass and scrub. The bushes were a tangled jungle choked with long grass.
Where the toilets had been dismantled were heaps of rubble. The septic tank was full of concrete and rubbish. Old school desks and broken forms were dumped in the back shed.
Birds had taken over the building, making their nests in the ventilators and flying in and out of the broken windows. There was a tap and a sink in the front porch but no other kitchen facilities. The folding doors were boarded up, the paint work was peeling off and the floors were bare and dirty.
Option to buy property
This was the state of the building in 1970 when the Mid Canterbury Maori Committee, chaired by Riki Ellison, acquired a five-year lease with the option to buy. For the newly formed Hakatere Marae Committee the price was $2224, not much by today’s prices but a new house cost $6000 then. Hakatere had to raise about $1000 and received a grant from the Timaru Trust for the rest.
But before purchase the toilet and kitchen facilities had to be reinstated, the grounds cleaned up, all by a small group of young people with families and mortgages. The dilemma they faced was to raise funds without facilities and not being able to build facilities without funds.
First task was to build a long-drop toilet while funds were raised for the toilet block. Hours and hours of work by individuals and working bees went into clearing dead trees, scrub and overgrown bushes as well as the never-ending job of mowing the lawns and grounds of the 4.5 acres.
Cake stalls, bottle drives, major and small raffles, concerts, rock concerts and regular dances for teenagers in the old Radiant Hall, catering for weddings and 21sts all helped towards raising funds.
In 1973 the first celebration of Waitangi Day was held with an evening ceremony. In 1974 a ‘New Zealand Day’ was held with demonstrations of culture, craft and a hangi meal.
Maori Women’s Welfare League
Meanwhile in 1960 a branch of the Maori Women’s Welfare League was formed under the name of Mania-o-Roto and sponsored by the Taumutu branch, Lake Ellesmere. This was the beginning of a close relationship between Taunutu and Hakatere The new branch then changed its name to Hakatere, the original name of the river.
Mrs Mere Clayton was the first branch president and she along with other members felt that a cultural group would bring families together, to foster knowledge of Maoritanga and provide a sense of whanau among the families who had come to Ashburton from the North Island.
That group became the Hakatere Maori Youth Club with a constitution, a club motto ’Hapai-tia-ra’, and a club badge of two green mere crossed on a white background and the motto beneath. The club performed at hundreds of functions, entertaining and fund-raising, and competed in cultural competitions at South Island venues until it went into recess and was wound up in 1977.
The club meetings had been held in many different places: Hampstead Hall Community Centre, the Railway Hall and the Coronation Rifle Club rooms. Hakatere was becoming a whanau, a hapu but had no home.
Taumutu had always shown an interest in Hakatere and when the kaumatua for Taumutu and paramount chief of the South Island Riki Te Mairaki Taiaroa-Ellison discovered that the old Fairton School was empty he saw it as a possibility as a marae for Hakatere.
He contacted Hakatere kaumatua, Archie Keepa and the then president of the marae committee, Lehi Meha and the marae committee.
The Mid Canterbury Maori Committee was formed with Riki Ellison as the first president.
Waitangi Day celebrations
The 1975 Waitangi Day event was celebrated by the whole community with Ashburton Borough councilors and the Mayor taking part. Marching girls, dog obedience displays, a re-enactment of the signing of the Treaty and the raising of the flag, a Red Ensign given by a local First World War veteran made up the programme.
In 1976 Riki Ellison and Hakatere Marae trustees met the Assistant Commissioner of Crown Lands in Christchurch, where the area of land by then known as Hakatere Marae was gazetted as a Maori Reserve.
The six original elected trustees were Lehi Meha, Archie Keepa, Janet Benfell, Mason Tuki, Thelma Reid, and Bella Moore.
The Ashburton community has been very supportive of the marae and much goodwill has been fostered by the marae making its facilities available to Ashburton groups.
The MWWL, youth club and marae have received a tremendous amount of help over the years from pakeha genuinely interested in Maori culture and in ways of fostering a closer relationship and understanding between people.
Because marae members came from many different tribal areas it was necessary to develop a kawa that recognised the differences and portrayed a unified front that belonged to Hakatere alone. This kawa was put together at weekend gatherings when all the families met, ate, talked, sang and slept in the wharenui, strengthening the ties which still hold fast today.
Kia ora koutou katoa!
Na Janet Benfell, 2008
In 1986 a new kitchen-dining room was opened. When the marae was first formed the old school shelter shed was converted into a dining room, the ceiling and walls relined and old forms and broken chairs removed. Food was cooked in the school corridor which had a sink and a Zip. Many groups and personalities were welcomed there, among them Ministers of Maori Affairs, Matiu Rata and Duncan McIntyre, entertainers Prince Tui Teka and party and Eddie Low.
The new dining room was named Hine Paaka after the wife of Maru a noted Ngai Tahu chief and who is remembered by the name of a tapu tree, an ancient matai in the alford forest foothills.
This tree was a landmark for travellers along the foothills finding their way over the Whitcombe Pass to the West coast seeking greenstone. As an important food source it was revered for the number of birds available and also its mana as an ancient tree standing alone below the bush line.
Important dates
1970 Fairton School acquired for use as marae
1976 Hakatere Marae gazetted Maori Reserve
1976 Hine Paaka poumanawa ceremony at Alford Forest.
1979 Porch and carvings by Vince Leonard dedicated. Timber came
Marae trees blown down in 1975 storm.
1978-83 $12,000 raised for kitchen-dining room.
1981 Tiaria Keepa and Alistair Wilkie married at the marae on 9
February.
1986 Dining room-kitchen opened. Wharekai named Hine Paaka after
Historic matai tree at Alford Forest.
1986 Marae and Maori Committees amalgamated.
1987 Te Kohanga Reo begun.
1996 Tangi for Coral Jones, League, club and marae member,
Plunket nurse respected by all.
1997 Ashburton College whare whananga opened
2003 Death of kaumatu Archie Keepa. Very large tangi
2003 Wharenui destroyed by arson. New wharekai begun.
2007 Wharekai complete at cost of over $300,000.
2008 Road access and entrance widening completed -$60,000
2008 Hakatere Marae declared smokefree.
2009 Wharekai (Te Hapai O) opened on Waitangi Day.
Hakatere Marae complex expansion
On any marae the meeting house (wharenui) is considered the most significant building and it plays a vital role in addressing Māori protocol. The wharenui at Hakatere was destroyed by arson in June 2003. Fundraising is continuing for the new wharenui, its design following the traditional Māori meeting house style.
Meanwhile, upgrading of the marae complex continues with the completion of Te Hapai O the new building (pictured) which was opened on Waitangi Day, 2009. It includes conference/dining room, stage, kitchen and offices and a wharepaku (toilets and showers).
Much of the exterior carving work for the wharenui has already been completed by master carver Vince Leonard (pictured).
Hakatere Marae has a history of harmony, unity and strength in spite of the difficulties it has faced in past years. Janet Benfell
Hakatere and Hakatere Marae
From College of Education student research.
Definition: Lit. haka: the South Island form of whaka, the causative prefix that indicates action; tere: swift, i.e. to make swift or to flow smoothly. (Reed, 1975) Also the Māori name for the Ashburton River. Definition provided per Hakatere kaumātua Archie Keepa: haka: dance; tere: fast, referring to river. But other definitions are possible.
Early canoe travellers used Hakatere as a resting point and food gathering place. These included Rapuwai, Hawea, Waitaha moa hunters and Ngāi Tahu. The Deed of Recognition for Hakatere between The Queen and Te Rūnanga O Ngāi Tahu states – “the Hakatere was a major kai provider for Canterbury Ngāi Tahu, particularly those based at Kaiapoi Pa. The main foods taken from the river were tuna (eels), inaka (whitebait) and the giant kōkopu. Rats, weka, kiwi and waterfowl such as pūtakitaki (paradise duck) were also hunted along the river.
The mauri (special character) of Hakatere represents the essence that binds the physical and spiritual elements of all things together, generating and upholding all life. All elements of the natural environment possess a life force, and all forms of life are related.” Hakatere’s mountain link is to Mt Somers (Te Kiekie). The kiekie is a vine used for plaiting, kits, baskets etc.
There is history of past generations of people with links to a famous matai tree near Alford Forest called Hine-Paaka. It was named after the wife of Ngāi Tahu Chief Maru who lived in the 17th Century and was a leading figure in war and diplomacy as his tribe pushed down through the Canterbury plains from Kaikoura. The tree is a survivor of a pre Māori rain forest and was used for food and shelter. It played a major part in the annual bird snaring season of the Māori tribes who would set snares and climb the tree for pigeons and kaka. It was used as a beacon for early Māori travelers who would congregate there and take mana (strength) from its powerful source. Travellers would go from Hine Paaka over the Browning Pass and bring back greenstone at certain times of the year.
The Hine Paaka tree blew down in 1945 during a nor-west storm. In 1976 near the original site a wall and plaque with a piece of the original tree in it were erected together with a planting of a young matai. It is recognised as the only place in Mid Canterbury where Māori past has been preserved.
Legends associated with the area to explain the significance of particular land features include one related to a taniwha in the Rakaia Gorge called Tu Raki Hau Noa. Ashburton master carver Vince Leonard describes the taniwha as one of four good taniwha who kept the rivers clean. Because the nor-west wind demon came down through the gorge and stole all their food Tu Raki became angry. He pulled the gorge closer together and waited for the demons next visit. When the demon returned he found Tu Raki and was attacked, a fierce battle ensued. Tu Raki was the victor and sent the demon packing with instructions that the next time he returned to come with courtesy. The battle was so fierce that the sweat pouring off Tu Raki turned to crystals as it fell. This is why there are now crystals to be found in the river bed.
The Māori population of Ashburton County has never been large, though a small and transient population was encouraged by the Fairfield Freezing Works and in shearing gangs. A Māori Women’s Welfare League and a Youth Club were established in the 1960’s. In 1970 the Canterbury Māori Committee obtained a lease from the Government for the disused Fairton school building and established the Hakatere Marae. The name was given to reflect the name of the river. The building was brought five years later and the land is now a Māori Reserve (Britten, 1991). It is administered by the Hakatere Māori Komiti Trust. In 1986 a separate dining/kitchen wharekai was opened being named Hine Paaka after the historic matai tree.
As the marae’s members have come from many different tribal areas a kawa has been developed that recognises the differences and portray a unified front that belongs to Hakatere alone (Benfell, 2006).
A straight line has been recognised by a tohunga from the sea, through the verge of the boundary of the marae to the Hine Paka tree. The tohunga came to cleanse the marae and also identified the atua (calmest spot). Eventually the atua will have a monument and lilac roses on it as any spiritual workings are done from there (Leonard, 2006).
Hakatere Marae and Maori Women’s Welfare League members were closely involved in the establishment of a whare wananga at Ashburton College. The first teacher of Maori at the college was Mrs Mary Ann Meha, a league branch president and the Te Waipounamu regional representative. Hakatere branch had been instrumental in advocating night classes at the college and in supporting homework initiatives for students. Master carver Vince Leonard constructed all the carvings.