Hundreds of people from around Te Tai Tokerau and beyond attended the weekend-long Centenary celebration of 'Te Hautapoki/Hautapuki' Te Tokotoru Tapu Anglican Church at Whangapē. Photo / Supplied'
Hundreds of people from around Te Tai Tokerau and beyond attended the weekend-long Centenary celebration of 'Te Hautapoki/Hautapuki' Te Tokotoru Tapu Anglican Church at Whangapē. Photo / Supplied'
A mighty celebration of 100 years of an iconic Far North church has attracted hundreds of people from around the region and beyond this Easter long weekend.
Whangapē's 'Te Hautapoki/Hautapuki' Te Tokotoru Tapu - Holy Trinity Church Centenary event marked months of an entire community coming together to restore and reinvigorate the historic building and congregation.
The church is located in a place of great Māori cultural significance, next to Te Toma - the ancestral site where the Tai Tokerau ancestor Ueoneone (from 11 generations ago) married the Tainui Kahurangi Princess Reitu.
It is also one of three church buildings that have been erected on the site known as 'Mehopa' on the Pawarenga side of the Whangapē Harbour.
The first Anglican church at Whangapē was reported as 'a commodious raupo chapel' built in 1854 and is believed to have been the first Anglican church built in the North Hokianga.
The idea to renovate the church came to Jaqi Brown (Tawhiu hapū) after a kōrero (conversation) with some of her whānau (family) about how the church had gone from being a central part of the community, to now struggling to maintain members.
Brown explained her whānau had been involved with the church since the 1800s and her great grandfather Anaru Ngawaka, had been a minister and passionate advocate for the church until his passing at age 94 in 1964.
A Facebook page was started by Brown to fundraise to replace the roof, pay for a fresh repaint, varnishing of the pews and clean-up of all the headstones in the nearby urupā (cemetery).
Brown said the group managed to raise more than $30,000 and was humbled by the support from the local community and people from all faiths to help achieve their goals.
"We came up with the idea last year, but due to Covid-19, things didn't really get happening until January this year," Brown said.
"It's basically been a labour of love over the past three months, with a core group of 10 people led by James Murray holding weekly working bees and more than 100 people from all around coming to contribute their time and skills.
"It's really brought the entire community together and is the smoothest project I've ever coordinated- everyone did their bit and took on a role.
The headstone of Iehu Ngawaka before it was cleaned. The transformation was incredible says Jaqi Brown. Photo / Jaqi Brown.
"It was just incredible how people came and left with new skills they had learned from just spending time with others, it was beautiful, something I can't properly describe."
The celebrations kicked off on Easter Friday, with a pōwhiri at the Whangapē Marae to welcome whānau and members of the church to the special event.
The next day, several hundred people gathered at the urupa, to walk around the beautifully restored graves and talk about their tūpuna (ancestors) who lay in the cemetery.
There were also workshops on whakapapa and how everyone connected back to the area.
The biggest day, however, was Easter Sunday, when an even larger congregation came together, who either ferried across the harbour by boat or traversed the farm paddocks from Pawarenga to take part in the celebrations, baptisms and confirmations.
The marble headstone of Iehu Ngawaka after it was cleaned. Photo/ Jaqi Brown.
Brown said it was a special occasion to welcome back whānau and friends to the completed church and an event that would remain in people's hearts forever.
"It was a wonderful weekend. The weather was kind, and the whole wairua of our celebration was full of laughter, learning and remembrance," Brown said.
It was also the first time for the Bishop of The Amorangi o Te Tai Tokerau, Wiremu Piikaahu, to visit Whangapē, who remarked how it had been the largest congregation he had seen since 2019.
The manatunga, named Whitiao (shining light) was also blessed by Bishop Piikaahu and the gift-giving, an important tradition for Māori, affirmed the ancestral links of Te Aupōuri tribe to the Whangapē and Pawarenga settlements.
Like many Māori names, the manatunga name 'whitiao' was quickly debated, with questions arising around whether it meant 'the faith that shines' or if it was a reference to the origin of the Te Aupōuri tribal name which derives from Makora, Pawarenga.
A turupou (carved staff) was presented by Peter-Lucas Jones, Te Aupouri tiamana (Chairman) to local hapū Ngāti Haua and was given as a manatunga (heirloom) to remain at the church.
A Hakari (feast) was then later held at the Whangapē Marae following the celebrations.
Brown said one of the other highlights of the weekend was the return of 14 of the Butt whānau to Whangapē, who had left almost 100 years earlier after a tragedy that claimed the lives of two young daughters.
"Heather was two years and nine months old when she contracted a childhood illness, believed to be the Spanish Flu and passed away suddenly," she said.
"Her sister Norrie, who was six at the time, was devastated and wanted to be with her sister on the other side of the harbour at Te Tokotoru Tapu.
"The whānau explained how she sadly drowned trying to swim across the harbour on her own to visit her sister.
"As a result, the family had erected a beautiful memorial stone befitting the two girls and moved to Auckland in 1923."
Years later, the whānau told how Norrie and Heather's brother, Jack, had gone on to become a founding member of the Muriwai Volunteer Surf Lifesaving Club.
Moving forward Brown said the community had its sights set on Whangapē's Catholic Church, which was due to celebrate its 100th year in 2023.
