“TITIRANGI ”

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11126, 8 February 1930, Page 5

“TITIRANGI ”

NEW PA AT KAITI CARVED MEETING HOUSE NEARLY COMPLETE WILL BE LARGEST IN DOMINION ATTRACTIVE SHOW PLACE FOR GISBORNE In the light of early Native history, it as a- very proper step on the part of the Tairawhiti Land Board, as trustee for the- old pa-, Polio-o-Rawiri which, as is well-known, stood on the banks of the Turanganui, to purchase for the purposes of a new pa a site on the lower slopes of Titirangi. What a wealth of Maori lore and history the name Titirangi brings forth! Practically all tho important personages of Maoridom were connected in one way or another with Titirangi. Even in modern days, tho Native elderss speak with awe and solemnity of the doings of their ancestors in the days of Titirangi.

This article is not a narrative of mythology, so we will come to the days of the immediate ancestors of tho Native people of Poverty Bay. When the Kaiti Block was put through the Native Land Court, the root of title commenced with, the ancestor, Ruaroa, who flourished about fifteen generations ago. Ruaroa. was the grandson of Ruapani, the eponymic ancestor of all tho Maori people in the Poverty Bay district

Ruapani Ruarauhanga Ruaroa Kahunoko Tamateakuku Rongomaiwaiata Tawiri Te Rangitipukiwaho Rakaiatane Tuapaoa Te Hapu Tamaihikitiatirangi Haronga To Eketuoterangi Hirini te Kani Heta te Kani Mihikore te Kani Pani te Kani From Kahunoke descend some of the best blood Kahunoke Tamateakuku Tamateaiti Hineteraraku Te Aorapa Tutekohi Tutepuaki Rangitawhia Taraia Tupurupuru Students of history will readily recognise the names of some of the most important personages connected with Maori history. They were conquerors and Empire builders What is more, most of the ancestors of tho East Coast peoples, extend ing from the East Cape to the Wai-rara-pa, and extending to the Bay of Plenty and Tanpo, were born and bred in the earlier Pa above on Titirangi. The carved meeting house on Titirangi was called “Tawhirirangi’ belonging to Tamatea-nui, who had for his wives Ihuparapara and Te Iwipupu. Titirangi Pa- was situate on the crown of the hill now known as Kaiti. It must have been an extensive one as Banks refers to it in his “Journal” as being probably either “a deer park” or “a field of oxen and sheep.” THE OLD AND THE NEW This style of the carved meeting hciuso in course of erection is, frankly, an adaptation of the old style building of that character, hut as the structure is within the borough, it has also to comply with the town building regulations. Hence, for instance, the inclusion of two broad doorways instead of one means of ingress and egress ,as formerly, as well as windows and modern means of ventilation. Then, again, as it is no longer possible to obtain tho heavy timbers that were formerly necessary to support tho roof of a Native structure of large dimensions the new hu'ilding requires to be supported on steel girders with a steel girder ridge pole running its whole length. It may be noted that the main porch is not quite in proportion to the length of tho building—a fact which will not be overlooked by Maori architects. The steel projection of the roof had to be somewhat shortened at the instance of tlio Borough Engineer to ensure greater strength. As it so happened also tho East Coast style of Native architecture prevented the use of a supporting pole at tlio end of the projecting ridge. Between Native rules and Borough regulations the porch had, therefore, to bo shortened to the extent df about 2 1/2 ft. The building is about 100 ft. long by 40ft. wide (inside measurements). It has four recesses projecting from the main walls. These recesses are innovations first adapted in tho Mahenarangi carved liouso at Ngaruwalria in the Waikato district which was completed last year. The recesses have been introduced to break the monotony of tho main walls and they enable tho artists who are designing the interior decorative work to introduce details which could not otherwise have been introduced. REVIVAL OF ANCIENT CARVINGS It is said.-Jhat Maori art is dying out. - Gishorne as is well-known, was Fornmerly the ---- of the best carving

school in Maoridom. and Whakato was, well into European times, considered the scat of the superior culturo by local. Natvos. Whakato was intimately connected with tho schools at Tolaga Bay, those in the Waiapu district, and others at To Kaha and on the Mahia, Tho best examples of the art of carving in tho museums of tho Dominion may be traced to the Poverty Bay district. Although this district has now- lost its old carvers it is'still possible to reproduce some of the ancient work with modifications in detail nccesssitated by the use of modern tools. The carvings for the new meeting house - are - being made at the School of Maori Art at Rotorua and the work was started late in November, the timber having been obtained from King Country mills. All the designs were collected and supplied from Poverty Bay and the carvings are being done'under the supervision of Air Hamilton, Director of the School of Maori Art. It is expected that tho carvings will reach Gisborne early this month.

PANELS AND ROOF DECORATIONS

The roof decorations Consist of the painting of scroll patterns on to tho rafters and this work is being carried out by Mr Wriglit, of Gisborne. The patterns were suppled from the best examples extant. These have, fortunately. been preserved in Hamilton’s “Maori Art” and Menzies’ Portfolio. Three had been preserved by Archdeacon Williams, Bishop-elect of Waiapu and are being freely used. The reed panels, 100, are a. feature of the building. They are being constructed on the site and a local working bee began work on them early in November. For such panels the kakaho or stalk of the toitoi plant-, was formerly used as verticals at the back and to them were attached horizontal laths. Horizontals and verticals wore then permanently fixed by lacing the appropriate materials. consisting of kielrie either in plain white, the natural color when dry or black, the kiekie being dyed in a certain mud after having been steeped in a preparation of bark. The pingao, a yellow sand grass, was used as a second material. Kiekie and pingao have been collected for the work from a-very wide area—as far south as the Mahia. as far north as the East- Cape, and as far west as Ruatoki. The-ground colors of the panels are red, black, white or walnut, the latter corresponding to the smoke stain of the ancient examples. On this foundation the artists have used the white or black of the kiekie and tho yellow of the pingao to diversify the standard patterns proper of such panels. It is estimated that there will bo 102 of these panels on the main walls, the friezes running round the walls and the recesses. This section of the work is expected to be finished shortly, the holidays not having been allowed to interfere with it. In the past fortnight thirty volunteers have arrived from the Waiapu district—both men and women—who carried out similar work at tlio carved church at Tikitiki. For all those engaged on the work if is a labor of love. The panels of the new building are- said to be the best in any part of the Dominion. They consist of well known designs—Poutama, Purapurawhetu, Taniko, Whakaruakopito, Nihotaniwha, Patikitiki, Kaokao, Papa-kirango, Mumu, and various other designs embracing two or more of the recognised patterns.

A BOON TO THE MAORI PEOPLE The people of Gisborne cannot possibly realise the importance of the work that is being carried out at the new pa. There is no doubt that the new carved house will become one of the show-places of the town for within easy distance of the main street will be- some of the finest examples of Maori art in the Dominion. It was most unfortunate that the old Manutuke church with its excellent carvings was destroyed by fire. The reconstructed building there was some very fine examples of carving, but they are not the equals of those destroyed. The carved house at Whakato, a- less well-known place, is still a very fine one and one ot the best in New Zealand. Unquestionably, however, the new carved house on Kaiti, which, in the circumstances surrounding the design and other particulars, must be an adaptation of tho older work, will be accepted by experts as the very best of its kind. Primarily, the new carved house is not being erected as a- showpiece. In the passage of the Maori tribes of tlio East Coast from north to south and vice versa the need has been felt for some time past of a central accommodation house handy to Gisborne and this was the prime motive behind tlio idea of building tho new pa and its main feature— the carved meeting house.