Fairton, New Zealand facts for kids
Fairton is a small town in the Ashburton District of New Zealand. In 2001, about 1,185 people lived there. It's a quiet place with a rich history, especially concerning its local school and the important Hakatere Marae.
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Fairton's School History
Fairton has an interesting school history. The original school building, called Newlands School house, first opened near Rangiora in 1880. It was moved all the way to Fairton in 1901. Later, in 1968, the school moved again to a new spot. This land was kindly given by a local business.
Hakatere Marae: A Community Hub
Hakatere Marae is a very important place for the local Māori community in Fairton. A marae is a special meeting place for Māori people. It's a place for gatherings, celebrations, and important discussions.
Hakatere Marae has been located in the old Fairton School building since 1970. This was two years after the school moved to its new site. The marae is named after the nearby Ashburton River.
Celebrating Waitangi Day
The marae started holding Waitangi Day events in 1973. Waitangi Day is New Zealand's national day. From 1974, they began including a hāngī as part of the celebrations. A hāngī is a traditional Māori method of cooking food in an earth oven. The land for the marae was officially bought by the Mid Canterbury Māori Committee in 1975.
Rebuilding After a Fire
Sadly, the original school house and the wharenui (the main meeting house) were destroyed by fire in 2003. But the community worked hard to rebuild.
- A new wharekai (dining hall) was finished in 2007. This is where people share meals together.
- The entranceway was made wider in 2008.
- A new building for conferences and other uses was completed in 2009.
Community Garden and Carvings
From 2009 to 2012, the Ministry of Health helped the marae. They gave $10,000 each year to create a community garden. This garden was on a half-acre of land.
A talented carver from Ashburton named Vince Leonard created beautiful carvings for the meeting house. He also made carvings for Ashburton College until he passed away in 2019.
Future of the Marae
In October 2020, the New Zealand Government helped the marae even more. They provided over $110,000 from the Provincial Growth Fund. This money was used to renovate the marae. It also helped create 14 jobs for people in the community.
