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Papauma Marae

Tēnei te hono hei tūhono i a tātou, kia tūhono, kia tūtaki, kia whiti te noho tahi e, Tihei mauri ora!

Ō tātou mate tuatini, i takoto mai ai i roto i te kōpū o te whenua, e tika ana hei poroporoaki i a rātou. āpiti hono, tātai hono, te hunga mate ki te whenua; āpiti hono, tātai hono ko te whenua ki te hunga ora.

Nau mai, haere mai, ki Pāpāuma Marae

Pāpāuma Marae is situated at 446 Owāhanga Road, Pongaroa on Owāhanga Station. Owāhanga Station is a Mäori-owned 7200-hectare sheep and cattle station on the East Coast of Northern Wairarapa.  

Pāpāuma Tipuna Whare

Pāpāuma Tipuna Whare was built in approximately 1905 by Tom Ross, with funds provided by the principal chief of the day, Haami Potangaroa and others. This wharenui still stands today as a testament to Te Ihi, Te Wehi, Te Mana of the descendants of Pāpāuma, Te Hika a Pāpāuma. Pāpāuma Tipuna Whare sits outside the ‘Māori Reservation’ but still within the whenua of Owāhanga Station.

The pākoko depicting Rakaihikuroa, the husband of Pāpāuma, and grandson of Kahungunu, stands proudly atop the Wharenui, Pāpāuma.

The centenary was celebrated in 2005, by family from as far afield as Auckland and Wellington. Also commemorating this event was the raising of the Papauma Marae flag, and a replica of the ‘Matakite’ flag of Paora Te Potangaroa.

Te Puru

With the generosity of the Aohanga Incorporation Shareholders, $150,000.00 was set aside for the Pāpāuma Marae Trustees to purchase a custom made portacom/ablution block consisting of, wahine & tane wharepaku with a small kitchenette to meet the needs of manuhiri and whānau. There are no cooking facilities. Whanau are welcome to bring a barbecue or picnic.

 

He Kōhatu Whakamaumaharatanga

The kōhatu in front of Pāpāuma was erected in memory of brothers-in-law, Hamuera Potangaroa and James Power who tragically drowned at sea on the 1st of January 1913.

There are no hireage costs to Whanau regarding  Pāpāuma Tipuna Whare facilities. Please ring Kaitiaki Paul Peeti +64 6376 6901 prior to your arrival Whanau, to ensure the Whare is available and ready for use.

Pāpāuma Marae Complex

 

Te Aroha o Aohanga – (opened on the 13th of May 1995)

13 May 1995 Opening of Te Aroha o Aohanga Meeting House

The wharenui Te Aroha o Aohanga can sleep up to 80 persons comfortably.

“The koruru features a titireia (comb indicating rank). The top is carved in haehae with a triangular and diamond pattern and inlaid with paua. This is described as Te Ārahi Whetu o ngā Tipuna (The guiding stars of the ancestors). On the titireia is a manawa.

The green represents the two awa flowing out to the sea which abound Owāhanga Station, the Owahanga Awa with its branch to the Waingongoro, and Mataikona Awa with its branch to the Makatote Stream, running from the peak of the Station.

The green awa theme of the koruru is carried through to both maihi, as an undulating line, to form a piko-o-rauru at the raparapa. This effectively joins the koruru, maihi and amo. The raparapa ends in three matimati or fingers.” Ref e – Study of John Bevan Ford by Michael Hancock

Ki Uta, Ki Tai (opened on the 11th of April 2015)

The Wharekai comfortably seats 100 – 120 persons and has modern kitchen amenities,  catering equipment and utensils. Cooking facilities include 2 gas stoves with electric ovens. The water is UV filtered. Tables & Chairs are available to use.

Ki Uta ki Tai also has adjoining modern ablutions, wahine and tane wharepaku & showers. There is also a disability bathroom with full amenities and a small laundry room.

Wi-fi & AV equipment is also available by request.

Ngarutai – (late 1980’s) was built as an extension to the Aohanga Native School to be used as a kitchen/dining room prior to the building of Ki Uta Ki Tai. Ngarutai is still used regularly for extra sleeping and meeting space when required.

Aohanga Native School – (Established 1940)

In 1906 Renata Paora wrote to the Secretary, Gibbs, at the Department of Education, requesting that a school be erected for the local tamariki. The land was to be gifted for the building and 24 tamariki would attend classes.  The Aohanga Native School was finally established in 1940 with the Crown acquisition of 2 acres of land from Mr. T.W. Rautu 1 acre, Mrs. Pane Paoa ½ acre and Mr. Hawea Power ½ acre, under the Public Works Act. The building was transferred from Saunders Road to Aohanga and remains onsite to this day. Plans are underway to upgrade the building.

Governance

The Committee of Management Members of the Aohanga Incorporation, when elected by the Shareholders, at an AGM, automatically assume the dual role of Pāpāuma Marae Trustee for the land gazetted in 1980 as: Part Mataikona 1E ‘Māori Reservation’.

Pāpāuma Marae Trustees 2024

  • Demetrius Potangaroa
  • Regan Potangaroa
  • Robin Potangaroa
  • Wright Broughton (Pāpāuma Marae Trustees Representative)
  • Ross Wright (Pāpāuma Marae Trustees Representative)
  • Charles Morunga
  • Paul Te Huki

Background

  • 1905: Pāpāuma Tipuna Whare built by Tom Ross with funds provided by Haami Potangaroa and others.
  • 1940: Establishment of Aohanga Native School. The land was originally taken by the Crown for the school site. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/PAHH19420310.2.17
  • 1978: Proprietors of Owāhanga Station purchase Native School and land back from the Crown for $19,697.00.
  • 1980: Native school including 2 acres of land gazetted as Māori Reservation, vested in the Proprietors of Owāhanga Station for the purposes of a Marae for ‘the people of NZ’. The Māori Reservation included the Native School, the Rabbiters House and 2 acres of land.
  • 1990: Building of Te Aroha o Aohanga commences.
  • 13th May 1995: Opening of Te Aroha o Aohanga.
  • 2012: Building commences for Wharekai.
  • 11th April 2015: Opening of Wharekai, Ki Uta, Ki Tai.
  • 2018: The Rabbiters House was sold and removed.
  • 2nd December 2022: Portacom – Ablution block erected for Pāpāuma Tipuna Whare.

To enquire about hiring our Marae Complex, Te Aroha o Aohanga, please go to our Marae Booking page or email us at [email protected] for details.

 

Conditions of Hire Information Pāpāuma Marae – Te Aroha o Aohanga 2024