Tuahiwi


Tuahiwi is a small New Zealand settlement located between Woodend and Rangiora. It is north of Kaiapoi.
The settlement includes Tuahiwi Marae, a marae of Ngāi Tahu and its Te Ngāi o Tūāhuriri Rūnanga branch. The marae includes the Māhunui II wharenui.

History

Pre-European

The land on which Tuahiwi was founded was originally a Ngāi Tūahuriri hapū of Ngāi Tahu pā site. With European settlement, the site was reserved for Māori in 1848 by Walter Mantell following the signing of Kemp's Deed. In 1831, prior to European settlement, the pa had been attacked by Te Rauparaha. The attack was a revenge raid and the pa returned to the Ngāi Tūahuriri when the attackers left.

Development

There was a meeting house on the site in 1870 that almost burnt down. Significant developments included the establishment of a Māori mission which included a church built in 1867 with its foundation stone having been laid by Governor George Grey on his visit to the settlement.
In 1890 Tuahiwi was described as having a neat village of Maori residences. The old whares had been replaced by more substantial fenced cottages with gardens. A school, church, and meeting hall were in the centre of the township and there was a flagpole in front of the meeting hall. The Maori Land Court used the hall from time to time.

Events

In 1900 the Tuahiwi hall was used as a base by D Company of the 1st North Canterbury Mounted Rifle Battalion, a volunteer unit. The Mounted Rifles included Tuahiwi Maori who on being refused permission to fight in the Second Boer War protested to the Premier Richard Seddon in 1901.
Dr Reginald Koettlitz and a number of members of Scott's Discovery Expedition made a goodwill visit to Tuahiwi in December 1901 prior to the expedition's departure from Lyttelton for Antarctica.
Te Wai Pounamu College for Māori girls was founded there in 1909. It relocated to Christchurch.

Notable people