Aotea Meeting House, Makirikiri

Tu Tangata, Issue 13, 1 August 1983, Page 24

Aotea Meeting House, Makirikiri

He tipuna whare

Brief Historv

_ In 1880 Ngati Pakapaka and Ngati Mutuahi, the two resident branches of the Ngati-Rangiwhakaewa sub-tribe, began work on the construction of the Aotea Meeting House at Tahoraiti. The timber was obtained locally and milled by one of the first saw mill operators in the area, McLeods Mill. The head carver was a man named Taepa from the Te Arawa Tribe, Rotorua. He was assisted by a local man Ihaka Rautahi. Taepa had just completed the carvings

on the original house at Te Oreore, Masterton before shifting to Tahoraiti to undertake this work. His work at Te Oreore contained many unique patterns such as the double spiral, constructed with a double S curve form meeting in the centre. These patterns were artistically important adding a new dimension to the known art froms at that time. Many of these unique patterns are found on these carvings on the Aotea Meeting House. The local Ngati-Rangiwhakawea people, sub-tribe of the Rangitane Tribe, were proud of this meeting house at Tahoraiti. This house ranked as possibly the largest carved meeting house in the country at that time. The house was almost 30 feet wide, had a porch depth of 15 feet 3 inches and an interior length of 99 feet. It ran a massive 114 feet. This house was opened in 1883. It is noteworthy that three of the

largest houses in the country at this time were in the Rangitane area. The house known as Te Iwa Tekau, at Awahuri near Fielding was 90 feet long; the house at Te Oreore, Masterton was 96 feet long, and Aotea at Tahoraiti was 114 feet in length. The carved figure on the gable of the house represents Te Hirawanu Kaimokopuna, one of the leading chiefs in this area during the early part of the 19th century. The Aotea Meeting House stood at Tahoraiti from 1883 until the mid

1960’s when it was dismantled and shifted to its present site at Makirikiri. It was officially opened on June 17 1967. Although the present house is only 60 feet long and 25 feet wide, all the carvings were cleaned, painted and replaced in positions as near as possible to the original. In the late 1970’s it became increasingly evident that some of the carvings were in poor condition with dry rot and fungal growth setting in. On 8 November 1980 a close inspection of the carvings was made by Mr Karel

Peters from Auckland University, an expert in the restoration of carvings. He recommended that they were in need of immediate attention. On 20 March 1981 the carvings were dismantled and put into storage for drying.

Karel Peters carried out the work and on March 31, 1982, the carvings were re-erected. On April 3 the carvings were blessed at a dawn service by kamnatua, Ron Kingi. Maori elders, Baden Batt, Te Aopehi Kara, Aussie Huata and John Tangiora also attended.

Tu Tangata Magazine wants to regularly feature tipuna whare around the country and welcomes information from marae committees about their local tipuna whare. Photographs and a description of carvings are essential.

Summary of carving restoration programme

Following is a summary of the procedure taken in the restoration of the carvings as recommended by Mr Karel Peters. 1. Removal of carvings from House and storage for two months drying. 2. Removal of all paint from carvings using paint stripper followed by fine chisel work carvings taken right back to bare wood. 3. Carvings were then scrubbed and washed down with water to remove all traces of paint stripper. 4. Numerous injections of Epsilon E 1200 were put into the wood for reinforcement, conservation and preservation of any rotted areas. 5. Building up of missing or damaged carving detail with epoxy resin filler mixed with Totara sawdust to give colour and recarving qualities. 6. Sanding and recarving work then done. 7. Application of diluted Epiglass Evideure preservative/sealer where absorbtion rates were high. 9. Sanding down any built up areas of Evidure to ensure a good adherance of paint. 10. Two coats of Low gloss acrylic black to highlight detail. (The removal of all paint at the beginning revealed that red with black detail were the original colours.) 12. Shape paua shell, then glue and peg in for eyes. 13. Galvanised angle iron supports made to strengthen the Maihi beams; a mastic layer put between wood and angle iron. 14. Replacement of carvings. This restoration programme has been laborious and exhaustive work to say the least, and local man Barry Bloomfield has been the competent Supervisor of all this work. However, we are extremely pleased with the results and hope that our carvings will remain intact for many more generations to come.

All data concerned with this whole restoration programme; initial inspection, supervisors, and workers, materials used and all others who contributed in any way will be capsuled and stored for posterity within the carvings. Capsules will be recessed into holes at the head of the right hand amo carving and then plugged and sealed.