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Story: Bay of Plenty places

Meeting house, Ruatāhuna

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Meeting house, Ruatāhuna

This is an early image of the wharenui (meeting house) named Te Whai-a-te-Motu, meaning ‘the pursuit through the island’. Opened on 11 April 1888 at Ruatāhuna, it commemorates the pursuit of Te Kooti Arikirangi by government forces through the Urewera. It is the place where important tribal issues are discussed. Two sittings of the Waitangi Tribunal hearing for the Urewera district were held there in 2004.

Using this item

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Reference: C.001371

Permission of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa 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 – Inland Urewera, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/5737/meeting-house-ruatahuna (accessed 4 June 2026).

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