Whakatō

Te Mana o Tūranga

Ko Puketapu te maunga
Ko Te Ārai te awa
Ko Hine-tataurangi te taniwha
Ko Whakatō te marae
Ko Te Mana o Tūranga te whare tipuna
Ko Te Aroha-o-te-rangatahi-a-Tūrāhiri te whare-kai
Ko Horouta me Tākitimu ngā waka
Ko Hurimoana te urupā
Ko Ngāti Maru te hapū
Ko Rongowhakaata te iwi 

The Whakatō Marae commemorates the tipuna Rongowhakaata. The wharenui is named Te Mana o Tūranga and the wharekai Te Aroha a Te Rangatahi a Turahiri. The marae is situated in Manutuke on the Whakato No.3 block and identifies primarily with Ngati Maru. The urupa is named Hurimoana.

 The following whakatauki applies to this marae:

‘Te kotahi a Turahiri
Ripo ana te moana.’ 

‘The one and only child of Turahiri
Who causes the rippling of the sea.’

Another whakatauki for this marae is:

‘He kotahi na Turahiri
Ka horu te moana.’ 

‘Turahiri may be only one person
But such a one that could stir up the oceans.’

Whakatō Marae traces its beginnings to the time of missionary contact in Turanganui-a- Kiwa. A mission station was originally established at Kaupapa in December 1839. However, it was later moved due to continual flooding. That area was named Whakatō symbolic of the planting of Rongopai (“the good word of the Pakeha religion”) within Tūranga. William Williams was the first missionary in the region and he commenced his mission at Whakatō. The first church was erected in the district at Whakatō Marae.

The first service in the church was held on Sunday, 17 January 1842. At the time Williams noted the different way the hapu of Rongowhakaata approached the building. Firstly, Ngai Tawhiri occupied the centre of the building, Ngati Kaipoho occupied the north side and Ngati Maru the south. It reminded Williams of the passage in the Psalm 122, “Jerusalem is built as the city that is compact together, wither the tribes go up”. The church was later destroyed by a severe storm causing considerable distress to Rongowhakaata. However, another church was built on the same site and was opened on 19 April 1863.

 
For marae enquiries please email: whakatomarae@gmail.com