About 80 people gathered to celebrate the handing over of Northland's Whirinaki methodist church to descendants of its founding minister, who originally gifted the land. Photo / supplied
About 80 people gathered to celebrate the handing over of Northland's Whirinaki methodist church to descendants of its founding minister, who originally gifted the land. Photo / supplied
After nearly four decades of perseverance, a historic Northland church – built in 1907 by Māori minister Te Tuhi Heretini – has been formally returned to his descendants.
Te Tuhi Heretini Whānau trustee Diana Ellis said the occasion was a deeply emotional and historic moment for the whānau and widercommunity.
More than 80 people were welcomed on to Whirinaki’s Moria Marae with a pōwhiri at 11.30am for whānau who travelled from Dargaville, Whangārei, Auckland, Ngaruawāhia and Thames.
“The sun was shining and the church came to life with the aroha and shared stories of remembrance,” Ellis said.
The church was built on land donated by Te Tuhi Heretini in 1906, with records also showing gifts in 1904 and 1932.
However, the land was never formally received, and in 1972, a certificate of title was issued to the Methodist Home Mission and Church Extension Investment Funds Board. It was transferred in 2012 to the Te Taha Māori Property Trust, a branch of the Methodist Church.
This weekend’s ceremony marked the culmination of a long journey that began in 1987, when James Te Tuhi – grandson of the church’s founder – initiated efforts to return the land and building to the gifting owners.
The property trust thanked the people for their patience on this long journey.
In 1989, then New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange, flew in by helicopter to officiate at a rededication service after major interior restoration work at Northland's Whirinaki Methodist church.
The title has now been officially transferred to the Te Tuhi Heretini Whānau Trust. Ellis and fellow trustee Michelle Te Tuhi, both descendants of the church’s founder, said they were “honoured” to receive the property on behalf of the whānau.
Ellis said the handover was met with elation and tears.
The church would remain open to all denominations, and the trust hoped to restore the exterior to preserve its legacy and ensure it continues to serve the community.
She said whānau were grateful they could reconnect with the whenua and the legacy of their tūpuna.
During the service, memories were shared of the last major celebration held there on March 12, 1989, when then-Prime Minister David Lange arrived by helicopter to attend a rededication ceremony.
Lange, who had long-standing ties to the region, spoke warmly to the congregation, joked with locals, and reflected on his early political career in the area.
He described Hokianga’s poor roads as having helped preserve its spirit and said there were two places he hoped his remains might rest – in the cemetery beside the church or scattered over the Hokianga Heads.
Lange died in 2005 and was buried at Auckland’s Waikaraka Cemetery.
His wife Margaret Pope told the Advocate that David spent many hours in his youth working on the church at Whirinaki, and she wasn’t surprised he was remembered from his 1989 visit for commenting on the local roads, which he loved driving, especially through Waipoua Forest.
Pope said while Lange’s ashes were originally interred at Waikaraka, they were exhumed in 2019 and scattered on the Hokianga Harbour by their daughter Edith in 2021.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent reporting on the courts in Gisborne and on the East Coast.
