Aotea Waka Memorial (1933)

The Aotea Waka, on Pātea's Egmont Street, celebrates the settling of the Pātea area by Turi and his hāpu after they voyaged from Hawaiiki to Aotearoa in the 15th century. They landed at Kāwhia and travelled overland to Patea naming many landmarks on the way including Tapuae, Oākura Waingongoro, Ingahape, Kaupokonui etc.

The Aotea waka was unveiled 2 August 1933 by the Minister of Internal Affairs, J A Young.

"He [Rev T G Hammond] continually urged them not to forget the wish of Taurua that a memorial be erected to Turi. The Taranaki Maori Trust Board took up the idea....under the chairmanship of Tupito Maruera. The Borough Council was approached ...and with their agreement the site in front of the Town Hall was chosen. ...Mr F A Jones of Hawera suggested building it [the memorial] in concrete.... Towards the end, finance ran out and only four figures were in the canoe when it was unveiled August 1933.." (Leslie M, Patea: A Centennial History, 1981)

The four figures in the canoe were cast in Hawera of re-enforced concrete, from moulds made in Wellington by Mr H.P. Coleman. Photos of two of the figures made by Mr Coleman can be seen in this article from the Taranaki Daily News, "Patea Commemorates Intrepid Maori Explorer".  Several additional figures, carved from ponga trunks, were added later but replaced with five more concrete ones in 1956.

The Pātea Town Hall behind the waka was demolished in 1982. In 1990 the canoe was vandalised and several of the figures were severely damaged. The following year the South Taranaki District Council carried out restoration work on the waka, which included earthquake strengthening. The waka was re-painted in late 2020 by  local artist, Luther Ashworth.

Left Plaque reads:

HE TOHU WHAKAMAHARATANGA

TENEI NA URI E NOHO NEI I RUNGA

I TENEI MOTU I AOTEAROA

MO O RATOU TUPUNA MO

TURI ME RONGORONGO

ME TA RAUA WHANAU ME TO RAUA OPE

TE TAU 1933

Right Plaque reads:

THIS IS A TOKEN OF REMEMBRANCE

ERECTED BY THE DESCENDANTS LIVING

THROUGHOUT AOTEAROA OF THEIR

ANCESTORS TURI AND RONGORONGO

THEIR FAMILY AND FELLOW VOYAGERS

ERECTED 1933.

Documents

Turi of Ancient Times Found Pātea the Place of Sweet-Smelling Soil, Pātea Mail, December 9 1981

Patea Heritage Inventory

Books

Patea: a Centennial History, Margaret Leslie, TRCT 993.488LES