EXPERT MAORI OPINION ON RESTORATION OF HISTORICAL RANGIATEA CHURCH

Chronicle (Levin), 10 May 1948, Page 2

EXPERT MAORI OPINION ON RESTORATION OF HISTORICAL RANGIATEA CHURCH

ARRANGEMENTS are being put in hand for the restoration of the Rangiatea Maori Church at Ot,aki, in . preparation for the coming centenary celebrations. A committee has been set up on which will be representatives of the tribal executive committee and all aspects of the celebrations will be discussed. The question of restoration plans was raised last year when it was requested that Sir Apirana Ngata, who is an authority on' tukutuku work, should examine the century-old decorations and carvings. inside the church. Accompanied by a number of East Coast Maori chiefs, Sir Apirana Ngata

visited Otaki yesterday to eonfer with the local Tribal Executive Committee. Claimed to be the only expert on this work in New Zealand, Sir Apirana taok some time examining the church and when he reported back to the committee he stated he would undertake the repair of the decorations. He hopes to make a start by September as he has all the reeds necessary for the work in hand.

The story of the Maori Church makes an interesting page in the history, of Otaki. At one stage in his notorious career, Te Rauparaha was taken to Sydney as a prisoner on H.M.S. Calliope, and while there had been shown many places of worship. These impressed and delighted the great warrior and on his return to Otaki, where he landed on the beach from a warship, he evinced a desire to build a church. At the beach, thousands of Maoris met him as he came

ashore wearing an admiral's uniform and carrying a sword. Govr ernor George Grey and the commander of the warship accompanied him. Such a dance of welcome, it is said, was never seen or heard before. The very earth trembled-to it and in his speech to his people, Te Rauparaha said' that the Maori must acknowledge Queen Victoria as their sovereign and adopt the ways and religion of the English. To this end, he . urged them to build a church.

I In 1847, the Maoris began tne ,tremendous task of cutting the ! tirnber for the church, chiefly in jthe Manawatu and Ohau districts. Rafters, heavy timbers and huge jtree trunks were floated down the Ohau and Waikawa Rivers and out to sea. Hundreds of Maoris could be seen with ropes across their backs hauling the great trees along the coast — there were no | horses or bullocks in the country at that time. Natives riding on the floating trees used poles to keep them off the beach, while the others hauled as on a tow-path. The immense totara trees were landed at Waitohu, near Otaki, and dragged cross the sandhills to where the church now stands. All the timber was dressed with native adze^ and the whole church was erected by hand labour. Te Rauparaha imported Maoris - from the Manawatu to do the carving ; ■T'bJrh is a work of art and is the feature of the. building. • DifEerent; hapus or families did the magm'.fi.cent sets of carving on the communion rails. The church, i;without rival -in "New. Zealand in historic interest' and Maori- w.orkmanship was named Rangiatea. | Up till the time of his death, Te I Rauparaha worshipped regularly in this church and in 1880, a I monument at!h his honour was J erected opposite it, at the same jtime, an obelisk was placed to mark jthe fortieth anniversary' of the opening of the Maori Mission work I at Otaki.- •