Tapu Te Ranga Marae

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Tapu Te Ranga Marae is a living Marae in Island Bay, Wellington, New Zealand. It is the home of author Bruce Stewart, his family and various friends. The Marae is listed as a Heritage site.

Tapu Te Ranga Marae

View across the rocks south of Tapu Te Ranga Motu to Te Waipounamu

1 Buildings
2 Art
3 Recent Writings by Bruce Stewart published on GADOT website
4 Gallery
5 See also
6 References

[edit] Buildings

The main Tupuna Whare (ancestral house) is Parehinetai o Waitaha. The Whare rambles up the hill on many levels, a strong social, environmental and artistic statement. She was built out of need by young Maori unemployed.

'They who build The Whare are built by the Whare' is the whakatauki (proverb).

[edit] Art

"In 1998 Bruce Stewart, rangatira of Tapu Te Ranga marae in Island Bay, Wellington asked me for artwork for the new Whare Wahine, Ukaipo. Te Waka Toi, the Maori arm of Creative New Zealand, gave me a generous grant to enable me to undertake this work, For me, a woman artist of Maori descent, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To be involved with the making of artworks for a whare was an honour and a privilege. It was doubly signigicant for the degree of involvement in creation of a house that is limited to men in many iwi. It took about 18 months to create the pou and to complete the painting."Robyn Kahukiwa -excerpt from the book The Art of Robyn Kahukiwa.

[edit] Recent Writings by Bruce Stewart published on GADOT website

Tapu Te Ranga Marae is a living Marae; it is the home of Bruce Stewart and his family and is shared with peoples of all races all creeds. He bought the Whenua to set it free from private ownership. Tikanga (principles) of Kaitiaki (caretaker protector nurturer) govern the Marae. Starting in 1974, Bruce worked alongside unemployed Maori youth- some were ‘sleeping out’ all without skills. They salvaged native timbers usually ‘balled’ and ‘crunched’, restored and shaped by their hands -‘they who build the house are built by the house.’ (Maori proverb)

For over three decades they persevered. It is back from the brink of extinction stuff. Now it is a strong social, artistic, cultural and environmental statement. Living Maori in today’s world. “We could not have done it without the support of many good people in the community special mention of Sir Michael Fowler.” says Bruce.

Testament of Maori youth, making the impossible come true, their Turangawaewae (standing place); without it they have no place to stand. They did what all poor people do; use everyone’s rubbish. The world's largest and tallest fully wooden house built of recycled materials—fully wooden is of wooden structure on wooden piles. There are ten levels, 27,000 square feet (2,500 m²), 131 feet (40 m) high. Thousands visit the Marae from all corners of the earth.

Our home: Nga Whare Tupuna (ancestral houses) Ukaipo o Mahinarangi me Pare Hinetai no Waitaha. The Marae is set in 50 acres. Most of it has been planted with native trees sourced from remnants of the original forest; 100,000 trees have been planted. Native birds are slowly returning. Manawa Karioi, good people from the local community, manage the reforestation. “It’s our church…sitting there breathing deeply the fragrances of a vigorous teen-aged forest…listening to the many sounds of silence…more and more native birds appear…sometimes they sing…it all flutters the heart,” says Bruce. Listed as a heritage site. [1]