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Biography: Te Pōtangaroa, Pāora

The carved house Ngā Tau e Waru

The carved house Ngā Tau e Waru

In 1878 prophet Pāora Te Pōtangaroa inspired the hapū of upper Wairarapa to build a large carved house at Te Ore Ore; when it opened in 1881 he called it Ngā Tau e Waru (The Eight Years) to ridicule rival prophet Te Kere's prediction that it would take eight years to build.

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How to cite this page

Angela Ballara and Keith Cairns. 'Te Pōtangaroa, Pāora', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/2609/the-carved-house-nga-tau-e-waru (accessed 4 June 2026).