ETHNOLOGICAL TREASURE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 September 1939, Page 7

ETHNOLOGICAL TREASURE

LOSS OF TE ORE ORE MEETING HOUSE. LAST OF KIND IN DISTRICT. One of the ethnological treasures of the Wairarapa, the carved Maori meeting-house at Te Ore Ore, Masterton, which was destroyed by fire last week, was the last house of its type in the district. Its importance to students of Maori carving was emphasised yesterday by Mr W. J. Phillips, of the Dominion Museum, who has madca study of the house.

Mr Phillips y visited the house last year to study it, and photographic records we're made for the Dominion Museum collection by Mr J. T. Salmon.

The house was built in 1878. It was very large, 96ft long and 30ft wide, and was decorated with remarkably fine carving on the exterior and with native weaving and painted designs within.

It was called “Nga Tau e Waru,” or Eight Years. When it was being built under the direction of the prophet Te Potangaroa, an important chief named Te Kere found himself unable to work in agreement with Te Potangaroa, and in withdrawing uttered the prophecy. ■‘lt will be eight years before this house is finished.” Actually it was only a year in the building, but the name stuck. The carvers were led by Tamati Aorere, of the Ngati Kahungunu tribe and Taepa, of the Arawa. Both tribal traditions were discernible in the designs as well as certain unique local developments. This historic house was to have been restored and renovated by the Te Ore Ore Natives, as a centennial memorial, and they had for some time been eagerly collecting funds to carry out the necessary improvements and repairs. The loss, said Mr Phillips, would be a serious disappointment to the local Natives.

The only other carved house comparable with Nga Tau e Waru was that which formerly stood at Martinborough and was known at Takitumu. It. too. was destroyed by fire, about 10 years ago. The Museum has on file old photographs of this house, enlargements of which reveal noteworthy variations in the traditional carving designs. There are still about a dozen small carved houses in the Wairarapa; but of much less importance. Some of these have already been recorded by the camera and notebook of the ethnologists, but the remainder have yet to be investigated.