Marae milestone key in heritage weekend

Helen Cooper was a driving force behind an exhibition marking 50 years of Parewahawaha Marae in Bulls. Photo/ Lewis Gardner

Rangitikei's museums opened their doors to the public on Saturday and Sunday to mark the annual Rangitikei Heritage Weekend.

Museums in Bulls, Marton, Hunterville, Mangaweka and Taihape participated in the annual event, which encourages people to get around the district and learn about its history.

While the official theme of this year's Heritage Weekend was Rangitikei aeroplanes, an exhibition on Parewahawaha Marae took centre stage at the Bulls Museum.

The exhibition opened in April to coincide with the 50th anniversary celebration of marae at the Bulls Domain.

"It just follows the story of the marae through the years," Bulls Museum secretary Helen Cooper said.

The marae has had its share of dignitaries visit it over the years. Former Prime Minister Norman Kirk (then leader of the Opposition) along with Maori Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu attended the official opening in April 1967.

Former US President Jimmy Carter also visited in 1984 and planted a totara tree.
Mrs Cooper said the exhibition told the story of what was a "special place" for the town, the people behind it and the families whose land it was built on.

"It's not just a marae as such. It's an integral part of Bulls, very much so," she said.

Mrs Copper led the creation of the exhibition and said it took months to put together.
"An approach was made to the marae first and it was with their blessing we did this," she said.

"There's so much involved with putting it together. "It was hard yakka, and there were days and nights spent down here. But it gives us a good record of the marae's history."

Mrs Cooper said the Bulls Museum had been attracting many international visitors of late and they had just added information sheets in a variety of languages.

The Parewahawaha Marae exhibition is scheduled to be on for three months. The Bulls Museum is open seven days a week, 10am to 3pm.