A BRIEF HISTORY
2013
Opening of Marae Cafe and Matauranga agreement with Te Wananga o Aotearoa to offer courses at the marae.
Launch of Taiohi Whai Oranga service.
We ran an outreach programme called Whakapiki Ora - Shelter and support for whanau who were homeless
2016
Opening of Te Manu Aute Whare Oranga and launch of Te Rau Korowai service & Rangatahi Youth Courts.
Marae is Qualmark registered and receives Bronze Enviro Award.
2010
In the Hamilton Land Court the land was gazetted as Maori Reservation for the purpose of a Marae site for the common use and benefit of the people of Manurewa. The names of the Trustees presented were approved as the Manurewa Marae Trustees to administer the Marae complex.
1978
1984
LAND DEDICATION a very very wet day!!! Tangata Whenua - The Wilson Whanau, Powhiri, Tainui Representatives, Sir Barry Curtis, Manukau City Councillors and staff, local dignitaries and the local schools and community. An emotional day for the project committee and trust. The first sod of soil was placed in a special container and entrusted by Rua Copper to the care of Alex Whaiapu to be placed in the foundations of the Wharenui upon its construction. The handing over of the land Certificate for the Marae by Sir Barry Curtis to the Marae Kaumatua Albert Walters.
Commencement of the building of the Whare Kai undertaken by C.F. Cameron Architect and Engineer S Baillie.
1985
1988
A Grant of $311,000 gratefully received from the ASB Trust towards the construction of the Wharenui and the second building. Contracted to Hawkins Ltd
A Grant of $100,000 gratefully received from Wiri Licensing Trust towards the carvings, tukutuku panels and whakairo.
1992
1999
The Marae trust was very proud to acknowledge the efforts of our young people of Manurewa particularly Nigel Borrell who under the guidance of Paki and Peter who contributed significantly to the kowhaiwhai panels and gives to the vision that the marae is for the seeds of our future.
Te Wharekura o Manurewa opens on the Marae.
2003
2007
The first public meeting was advertised in the local paper, to be held at St Lukes and invited a representative from the Department of Maori Affairs. Two committees evolved from this meeting; a steering committee and a fund raising and social committee.
The outcomes for these committees was fundraising and gathering support namely from Tangata Whenua and the Manukau City Council. Importantly at this time a delegation met and spoke with Nani Tura at Te Puea Marae seeking Tainui blessing to proceed with the vision, we left with great joy as she gave her blessing and the first donation to the establishment of the Marae project in the form of 2 pounds. Kia ora Nani Tura... from this we were able to cement our relationship with Tangata Whenua, of Te Waiohua. Meetings with Sir Lloyd Elsmore and the City manager Ron Wood formed an ongoing relationship with the Manukau City Council culminating in support for 4 acres in Roscommon/Browns Road area.
Fundraising soon became an integral part of the vision towards the Marae. Support from sports clubs, churches, the Kiwiani's Jaycees, schools, firms too numerous to name and the local community. The project became registered under the name: "Manurewa Marae Project Society Incorporated"
The official opening of the premises at 23a Massey Road (now Maich Road) where fundraising i.e. Housie continued on a regular basis, not only for the Marae but for other community organisations.
Sign erected on the land in Finlayson Avenue, designated for the Marae Complex. Removed three times by unknown persons.
1973
A group of young families met together to discuss a dream. To build a bicultural Marae where all people can gather, to meet, to sing, to cry and to learn, but mainly perhaps to understand and help one another in making our society today and in the future a more harmonious place to live in. There are many people, both Maori and Pakeha who feel that unless we teach and preserve all aspects Maori it will be lost forever.
In March 2007 Manurewa Marae ran a project called the Marae DIY. This project involved over 300 volunteers who over 3 days worked together on renovating and upgrading the entire marae. Also in this year we created our worm farm - a way to get ride of raw food scraps and producing a garden fertilizer which feeds our community garden.
On Tuesday the 3rd June, the Kingitanga Flag was raised for the first time on the Manurewa Marae. It was a wonderful ceremony, that was raised under the Tikanga (protocols) and Kawa (etiquette) of Tainui Waka.
1975
Opening of Matukutureia by the Tainui Representative for Dame Te Atairangikaahu Mrs Sophie Muru, supported by Kaumatua Rua Cooper, Pumi Taitua and Sir Barry Curtis Mayor of Manukau City, councillors, staff, local dignitaries, communities from the wider Manukau region, A TRULY WONDERFUL DAY!!!!!!!!
A Grant of $200,000 gratefully received from the Lotteries Board towards the construction of the whare kai Matukutureia.
Tohunga Paki Harrisson, his wife Hinemoa and their children bestowed their creative knowledge, artistic skills and talents, along with Peter Boyd current lecturer in Nga Mahi Toi a Ringa at MIT who provided designs for the tukutuku panels and the beautiful stained glass windows that is the work of Lynley Adams, which was a contribution from the Maori Womens Welfare League of, Nga Wahine Atawhai o Matukutureia.
Nga Matukurua - The Two Bitterns
Around the name of Matukurua centre the historic memories of two fortified hills at Manurewa which were known as Matuku Tureia, the vigilant bittern and Matuku Tururu, the bittern standing at ease, names which commemorate two chiefs who commanded the forts. Matukutururu was so nicknamed because in time of expected was he had gone eel fishing and fallen asleep, to be captured, with his people by the enemy. Matuku-tureia, by his vigilance, saved his pa and people.
The two pa were collectively known as Nga Matukurua by the Ngai-Huatau branch of the Wai-o-Hua-people. The affairs of Hua-rangi, son of Huatau brought about complications which make the theme of this story. He first married Taka-wai, a chieftainess of the closely related sub-tribe of Ngai-Tahuhu. The marriage complied fully with Maori custom. They had a son Tama-pahure, and other children of promise.
On the death of Taka-wai, Hua-rangi, ignoring the claims of many eligible cousins-in-law and sister-in-law, took to wife Kohe, a woman outside the tribal pale, for though of high rank, she belonged to another tribe, the Ngati-Paoa.
One of the consequences of this extra-tribal marriage was the refusal to grant the girl full tribal rites. When the time came for Hine-awhea to be tattooed, the family instruments kept at Matukutureia were rudely refused. Kohe had long endured belittlements and this was the last straw. She visited her step-son's pa and on the flocked marae said many acidulous things to his discomfiture. She sang a kaioraora (cursing song) which is not translatable, being over epic in its pungency. Then, with her daughter and younger children she returned to her home at Piako. Tamapahore, bowing to the rules of uru tane, had no personal grievance over his sister's tattooing belittlement. He lived on Matuku-tururu, married and had children.
One day the men of Matukurua were kite-flying and Tamapahore's ascended the highest so Tamapahure caused his cord to foul that of his brother and break it.
This mixed marriage caused great disapproval, so that when Huarangi introduced Kohe into his Wai-o-Hua circle, he was in an ever difficult position. The couple's unhappy domestic affairs were soon brought to a crisis under the following circumstances.
Kohe was now expecting her first-born and craved the preserved pigeon foods of her Ngati-Paoa homeland. When her father heard of her desire, he set aside for her a Rahui kereru or Pigeon preserve, an area still shown on County maps as Te-Hapu-o-Kohe (the child-bearing of Kohe). The presentation of huahua-kereru (preserved pigeons) were placed by Kohe in her food stores, nor did she allot any of them to the relatives and children of the first wife. This act of meanness resulted in much umpleasantness until Hua-rangi took Kohe to live in Matuku-tururu, leaving Tamapuhure and his children by the first wife. That son now assumed chieftainship of Matukutureia in his father's place.
At Matuku-tururu, Kohe gave birth to her son Tamapahore, and later to other children, the second being a girl, Hine-awhea. When Huarangi died, his children by the two marriages continued to live apart, his sons Tamapahure and Tamapahore being recognised as chiefs of their respective pas.
So that the kite drifted toward Hauraki. Hence the place name, in its full form, Te Manu rewa o Tamapahore (the drifted-away kite of Tamapahore).
This was a valued kite, so off Tamapahore went with his family to where his kite had drifted. At last he was guided to Pukekotaretare, near Mercury Bay, and there was found the kite. Hence the name of that district. Whenuakite, from Te Whenua I Kitea te Manu o Tamapahore (the land where was found the kite of Tamapahore). For a time he settled here and took to wife a woman of the Ngati Hoi, but later he and his family joined his mother's people at Piaki. There, his descendents are still known as Nga Manu Aute (the kite people).