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Story: Bay of Plenty places

Maketū memorial

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Maketū memorial

This cairn at Maketū was built in 1940, to commemorate the landing of the Te Arawa canoe after its journey from Polynesia. The Māori children are almost certainly descendants of the original voyagers. 1940 marked the centennial of the Treaty of Waitangi between Māori and the British Crown, and 100 years of British sovereignty over New Zealand.

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Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: 1/2-018975; F

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Malcolm McKinnon, Bay of Plenty places – Te Puke to Maketū, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/5706/maketu-memorial (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Malcolm McKinnon, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 July 2015.