Waitangi Treaty Monument facts for kids
The Waitangi Treaty Monument is also known as the Te Tii memorial. It is a very important historical site in New Zealand, recognized by Heritage New Zealand. This monument was built around 1880-1881. It has the full text of the Treaty of Waitangi written on it in the Māori language. The monument became a top-level heritage site on March 19, 1987. You can find it on Te Karuwha Parade in Paihia.
Building the Monument
In the middle of 1880, the Ngāpuhi people wanted to build a special monument. They asked a company from Auckland called Buchanan, which worked with stone, to create it. The monument was made to remember the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
The base of the monument was built using Sydney sandstone. This stone was sometimes called 'Sydney freestone' back then. The main part of the monument was made from Oamaru stone.
The monument has a large base with a tall shaft, a capital (the top part of a column), and a frieze (a decorative band). The column gets narrower as it goes up. The whole structure stands about 17 feet (about 5.2 meters) tall.
What the Monument Says
On all four sides of the base, there are special plaques. These plaques show the complete text of the Treaty of Waitangi in Māori. There is also another message that says 512 chiefs signed the treaty.
The monument was officially shown to the public on March 26, 1881.
See also
In Spanish: Monumento al Tratado de Waitangi para niños
