Turongo Church

Rights Information
Reference
43278
Media type
Audio
Ask about this item

Ask to use material, get more information or tell us about an item

Rights Information
Reference
43278
Media type
Audio
Duration
00:00:00
Taonga Māori Collection
Yes
Credits
RNZ Collection
Larkins, Billy, -1972 (d.1972), Speaker/Kaikōrero

Wiremu Kingi Te Aweawe speaks about the origin of the Turongo Church that was restored and resited at Poutu Pa on the 20 March at Shannon.

He relates the story of a kaumatua by the name of Hiha from Rangitane of Ngāti Apa descent who dreamt that he saw two huge totara trees, talking to each other by the names of Whana-Ihu and Whana-rae. Māori myth tells us that when this type of dream occurs he is referring to certain gods, and that these trees chanted a waiata.

When kaumatua Hiha awoke, he related his dream to his people, they asked if he knew the location of the trees and his reply was somewhere up the Manawatu river.
Ngāti Apa got into their canoes and paddled up the river for about three days stopping at various places overnight. Whenever they came to a bend in the river his people would ask is this the place, no, says the kaumatua. Finally they reached a place called Longburn and the old man said this looks like the place in my dream. They all got out of their canoes and after walking about a quater of a mile towards Linton camp they came upon these two huge totara trees.

The trees were felled and floated down river towards Moutua thus the erection of Turongo church was completed. After that three other churches have been built, the Rangitane church at Puketotara Pa, called Te Ahu-o-Turanga, Te Rangimarie Church at Rangiotu, and one at Matakaraka Pa at Foxton which was put up by a chief name Ihakara Tukumaru.