Te Papaiouru Marae facts for kids
Te Papaiouru is a special meeting place, called a marae, located in Ohinemutu, Rotorua, New Zealand. It is the main marae for two groups of people, Ngāti Tae-o-Tū and Ngāti Tūnohopū, who are part of the larger Ngāti Whakaue tribe. The marae has a beautifully carved meeting house, known as a wharenui, named Tamatekapua. This name honors Tama-te-kapua, who was a leader or captain of the Te Arawa canoe. This canoe traveled to New Zealand from Polynesia a very long time ago, around the year 1350.
The History of Te Papaiouru Marae
Building the Tamatekapua Meeting House
The first Tamatekapua meeting house was opened in the middle of Ohinemutu in 1873. It was a very important building for the community. However, this original building was taken down in 1939. A new and improved Tamatekapua meeting house was then built. It was officially opened again in 1943. Many of the detailed carvings on the new house are actually much older than the building itself.
Earlier Meeting Places and Important Visitors
Before the current meeting house, an even older Tamatekapua meeting house stood on Mokoia Island in Lake Rotorua. This shows how important this name and place have been for generations. Over the years, many important events have happened at Te Papaiouru Marae. For example, Te Kotahitanga, which was a special Māori parliament, held a meeting here in 1895. Many famous people have also been welcomed onto Te Papaiouru Marae, including members of the British royal family. Besides Tamatekapua, there are two other meeting houses in Ohinemutu called Te Rorooterangi and Tūnohopū.
