The Government Gardens have just been registered as a waahi tapu area by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust and the Maori Heritage Council.
The waahi tapu area, known as Paepaehakumanu Motutara, incorporates sacred remnants from pre-1900 buildings, swamps, cultivation areas and pa sites. The land was historically used asa bird snaring ground.
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust provides waahi tapu status to those areas recognised by the Historic Places Act 1993 as sacred to Maori in the traditional, spiritual, religious, ritual or mythological sense.
Rotorua District Council director of Kaupapa Maori Mauriora Kingi acknowledged the rich history of the area and regarded it in the highest esteem.
"A key feature of Paepaehakumanu Motutara is the hot pool chasm, now filled in, named Oruawhata. The bodies of Te Arawa chiefs were buried in the ngawha [hot pools] to prevent desecration and pillaging by enemies.
"The area was also the backdrop of two historic tribal battles and consequently the land containing the remains of these ancestors is tapu [sacred]," he said. Natural resources were gathered from the lake edge and swamp areas.
Ngawha and mud pools also provided medicinal resources to local Maori.
These geothermal areas of Paepaehakumanu Motutara are imbued with wairua (prestige) absorbed from centuries of spiritual use by the Te Arawa people.
In 1881, an agreement was reached between Te Arawa leaders and government agents, which resulted in an area of 20ha created "Hei oranga mo nga iwi katoa o te Ao [for the benefit of the people of the world]".
This later became the Government Gardens and has cemented the close bond between local government and Te Arawa.
Destination Rotorua Marketing general manager Oscar Nathan said the Government Gardens were a key Rotorua attraction visited by thousands every year.
"Today the area includes a band rotunda, sports grounds, venues, tea rooms, the Blue Baths, Prince's Gate archway and the famous Bathhouse, now home to the Rotorua Museum, which holds Category 1 Historical Building status."
