The wharenui, Te Tumu Herenga Waka, is the Marae’s carved meeting house and was formally opened in 1986. It is the first fully carved meeting house to be built on a University in this country and will be the venue for the anniversary celebrations on Tuesday 6 December.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Māori) Professor Rawinia Higgins says the event is a special occasion that provides a platform to reflect on the past, celebrate the present and look towards the future. It centres Victoria’s engagement as a civic university with the wider Māori community at the very heart of all things Māori on campus.

“Te Tumu Herenga Waka is the mooring post of canoes that allows all people to feel connected to the Māori world at Victoria,” says Professor Higgins.

The event will also be an opportunity to sign relationship agreements known as Herenga Tāngata with a number of iwi and Māori organisations around New Zealand. The agreements are part of Victoria’s focus on improving its engagement with iwi and other Māori groups and working in partnership with them to support the academic success of current and future Māori students. For example, Victoria has set aside $250,000 to match dollar for dollar scholarship funding with iwi and other Māori partners.

At the same event, Miriama Evans will be made a Hunter Fellow, to acknowledge her long-standing contribution to Māori development at Victoria. Ms Evans, of Kāi Tahu and Ngāti Mutungā, graduated from Victoria University with Honours in Māori Studies in 1985, then returned in 2010 as a lecturer on Māori and government at Te Kawa a Māui—the School of Māori Studies. She has also served as a member of the University Council, and spent five years as a voluntary external member of the Council’s Te Aka Matua Committee.

These celebrations will also introduce the Te Tini a Rēhua awards recognising the top Māori undergraduate student in each Faculty at the University.  

“It is important to acknowledge the hard work and achievements of our Māori students and showcase this to the University and our wider communities,” says Professor Higgins.  

The day’s events are in line with the proposed Strategic Outcomes Framework—Mai i te Iho ki te Pae that will be released for consultation on the day.  

“Using the University’s strategic plan, this framework is a resource to link the diverse activities across the institution with the Māori outcomes we hope to achieve. It integrates all of the key strategic documents, premised on the University’s values to promote a Victoria community that enables a collective impact approach. It builds on the Iho (core, essence) of Māori and helps to extend beond the Pae (horizon).”

Brief Te Herenga Waka Marae History

Although Tuesday’s celebration marks 30 years of the wharenui, Te Herenga Waka Marae was first established in a two-storey house on Kelburn Parade in 1980—making Victoria the first university to establish a marae. The marae was then relocated to 46 Kelburn Parade in 1984.

In order to establish a place for a permanent wharenui, buildings were shifted and ground was levelled behind the 46 Kelburn Parade building. Plans for Te Tumu Herenga Waka were then made under the auspicious leadership of Prof. Sir Hirini Moko Mead. Carvings for the wharenui were produced by University staff and members of a government work scheme, led by head carver Takirirangi Smith and staff member Con Jones. The process took around two years.

The former building at 46 Kelburn Parade has now become a wharekai, teaching space, study area and administration centre for Te Herenga Waka Marae. The Marae provides a tūrangawaewae (a place where Māori custom prevails) for the students and staff of Victoria to learn, promote, disseminate and maintain the use of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori. In December it hosts the University’s Māori graduation ceremony. It is also a venue for other conferences and events throughout the year. For students, the Marae provides resources, support and activities including Te Whanake Mauri Tū Computer suite, lunches in the wharekai four days a week and whānau housing.

What: Thirtieth anniversary of Te Tumu Herenga Waka

When: 10.30am, Tuesday 6 December

Where: Te Herenga Waka Marae, 46 Kelburn Parade

RSVP: Elijah.pue@vuw.ac.nz with ‘anniversary’ in the subject line.