Maori House for Gisborne

In the 1860's, a Maori meeting-house was built at Tokomaru Bay for the chief Henare Potae. For a meeting-house, it was destined to hare a more disturbed lot than most. In the troubled days of Te Kooti it lost some of its magnificent carved work, and barely escaped destruction. Then in 1873, it was purchased for £250 by the Canterbury Museum, and was shipped to Christchurch. In 1885 it was pulled down again and re-erected on a fresh site in the garden city's museum grounds.

Next shift for Henare Potae's meeting-house is likely to be to Gisborne. Negotiations are now in train for the purchase of the meeting-house for the historical and museum branch of the Gisborne Arts Society for erection in the grounds of its property at "Kelvin Rise" in Stout Street, formerly the home of the late W.D. Lysnar.

The photograph, taken in 1885, and sent to "Photo News" by the Director of the Canterbury Museum, Dr. R. S. Duff, shows workmen engaged on rebuilding work. The print includes the painted facing of the main rafter, the porch projection of the rafter (held by workman), the window lintel (right, against wall), the gable figure (Tekoteko), and. the door lintel (in midforeground.

Mr L. Fowler, honorary director of the Gisborne Museum, at work on a display of Maori artifacts which will eventually be housed along with other Maori exhibits in the meeting-house.

An interior view of the meeting-house with display cases in position (by courtesy Canterbury Museum and Mr Fowler,) Gisborne authorities have expressed hope that funds required to bring the meeting-house to Gisborne and make it a Maori museum will be raised by the Maori people of the district.

The nucleus of a group of voluntary workers which has spent every Wednesday night for the past five months classifying and recording over 1000 exhibits which have been donated or loaned to the museum. From left: Mr Fowler, Mr Peter Gordon, Mr Gerald Fielder, Mrs J. A. MacKay, Miss Nelson, Mrs F. Goodland, Mr John Atkinson, and Miss Jocelyn Clements. Museum should be open to public next year after renovations and fire-proofing work have been carried out.

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The Gisborne Photo News

No 7 : December 23, 1954

Maori House for Gisborne