Raetihi’s Rātana Temple restoration work could start by end of October

JC Consultants test the Rātana Temple bell towers for asbestos, watched by koro Robert Williams. Photo / Liz Brooker

Raetihi’s Rātana Temple, Te Whare Whakamoemiti, will soon have “spades in the ground” but more funding is needed for a complete restoration.

The project, led by Āpotoro rēhita (apostle) koro Robbie Williams, began about eight years ago.

Project manager Darnell Watling said there had been several attempts to patch up the temple until Williams decided enough was enough.

“It was the turn of our generation to step up and ensure we weren’t going to leave our moko with a building that was literally going to fall down around them,” she said.

“The kaumātua and community agreed we should do it once and, finally, do it properly.”

She said there was a grant of $400,500 from Te Tahua Taiao Ngā Taonga - Lottery Environment and Heritage Fund, along with $67,000 from Ruapehu District Council, $59,000 from Whanganui Community Foundation and $50,000 from Awhero Nui Charitable Trust.

The John Preston Trust contributed $20,000, with $10,000 from Four Regions Trust and more than $110,000 from the community.

Watling said architects Sills van Bohemen were finishing the last iteration of plans, and a building consent application would be lodged by the end of September.

“Once this is granted, we hope to actually finally be starting mahi in mid to late October.”

The first stage of the project was to replace piles and footings, Watling said.

The church would then be tented with recyclable material by Whanganui scaffolding company Barred Up, so building and strengthening work could start to bring it up to current code.

That would take about six months.

Speaking to the Chronicle in 2022, Williams said the project began following a discussion with his daughter before she died.

“She said we needed to do something about our church, our house of prayer.”

It began as a Methodist church before switching to the Rātana faith in the 1950s.

The towers, symbolic of the Rātana Church, were then added.

Te Whare Whakamoemiti is one of six Rātana-style churches in New Zealand; the original building was constructed in 1926.

Williams told the Chronicle this week churches in Ahipara and Mangamuka had been supporting the project, along with mōrehu (followers) around the motu.

“I think it was the late 1980s-early 1990s when it last had a facelift.”

He said he was still chopping wood to fundraise - “every little bit helps”.

“We have a journey and we’ll complete it as one people. We’re getting there.”

Watling said at least $200,000 was still required for all the work and, while it was a large sum, the team believed it could be found.

“With our 100th anniversary coming up in September next year, things were starting to get a little tight to have the restoration finished.

“But we’ve had some amazing support, both in actual dollars and mahi-in-kind, which has meant we can finally look to get spades in the ground.”

Watling said the restoration was being led by Raetihi builder Piha Smith from Ngā Kaihanga, who brought “a lifetime connection to our kaupapa”.

“His whānau are from Rātana and father Jack was an āpotoro who helped work on the centenary restoration of the temepara down there,” she said.

A Givealittle page can be found at givealittle.co.nz/cause/teparihaoraetihi

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.