Whangara

Whangara, East Coast, New Zealand

Whangara is a small community located between Gisborne and Tolaga Bay, and 2 km down Pa Road off State Highway 35

Our connection with Whangara started with the arrival of our legendary tipuna Paikea.

The Priestley name first appeared here in the 1860's when our English ancestor Charles Priestley settled in the area. He met and married a local woman Taraipine Tatua and had 8 children.

It is through a maze of marriages and bloodlines since then, that firmly associates us with the area and in many ways, confirms our standing as tangata whenua.

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Whangara History

Whangara, whose full name is Whangara-Mai-Tawhiti, features prominently in the early history of Ngâti Porou and is regarded by many as the spiritual centre of the iwi (tribe).

It is the home of iconic leader Porourangi from which the Ngāti Porou iwi tribe derive their name for two main reasons. Firstly, many lines of descent converge on him from ancestors in the Pacific homeland of Hawaiki, and from Toi, one of the earliest voyagers. Secondly, his descendants produced great warriors whose conquests in battle, along with strategic marriage alliances, subdued many of the competing forces in the Gisborne and East Coast regions.

It is also the home of the epic character Paikea (formerly Kahutiaterangi), our ancestor who came to New Zealand on the back of a whale. Legend tells the story that represents the spiritual bond between the human and natural worlds, and the potential revealed when nature is respected rather than exploited. The story of Paikea inspired Witi Ihimaera’s book Whale Rider, which in turn inspired an award-winning film of the same name that was filmed at Whāngārā.

Whangara Today

Ko Pukehapopo te maunga

Ko Waiomoko te Awa

Ko Ngati Konohi te hapu

Whangara Marae is the central meeting place for many of the small neigbouring communities along the East Coast between Tolega Bay and Pouawa. It is a large marae that is well used and facilitates all types of community events.

The marae has two wharenui Whitireia (well known with the eponymous ancestor Paikea atop) and Waho te Rangi. The latter being the smaller of the two. The dining room is called Te Hokowhitu a Tu. The marae is administered by Paikea Whitireia Trust.

The urupa just beyond the marae is known as Wahakino and is the final resting place for many of our tipuna. The landmark motu (island) beyond that is Te Ana-a-Paikea (Whangara Island) where many of our ancient ancestors are interred.

Just south of that is the mouth of Waiomoko awa (river) that runs 22km north-west inland.

Rising majestically and overseeing the entire settlement of Whāngārā is the maunga (mountain) Pukehapopo.

Collectively, these landmarks have come to represent the Ngati Konohi hapu (sub-tribe).

The historic Patoromu Church was built 1921-22 when the previous one perished. It is a beautiful church set in the picturesque setting of Whangara, has a memorial gateway to our war heros.

Whangara School is situated closer to the state highway and is a a State funded, full primary school (to Intermediate level). This school is currently a Decile 2 rural school.

Whangara Weblinks

Our Whangara Connections

• Our maori ancestral bloodlines in Whangara come from our connection to Paikea, Porourangi and down through to our ancestral mother Taraipine. These bloodlines not only connect us to Whangara, but also to many of the other surrounding communities and to Ngati Porou iwi in general.

• The Priestley name became part of the local Whangara community when Taraipine (1841-1894) and Charles Priestley (1826-1889) met, married and had children in the 1860's.

• • Whangara in particular, played a big part of the Priestley children's lives. Brothers Stephen (1867-1944) and Charles Priestley jnr (1869-1950), lived most their lives in a house on the hill overlooking the settlement. They are now buried in the Whangara urupa.

• Their brother William Augustine Priestley (1871-1937) and his wife Kate Campbell (1872-1945) lived for the early part of their marriage (1890's) on the Whangara land block called Kirikiriroa. Some of their first children were born there.

• William and Kates son Pat Priestley (1900-1973) married a local girl Riria Hinaki in the 1920's. They lived on Hinaki family land in nearby Pouawa Beach and were associated with Whangara all their lives. Pat, Riria and their children are all buried at Whangara.

• Pat's sister Pani Priestley (1906-1980) also married a Whangara native by the name of George Leach. The Leach families association with Whangara extends back to the marriage of his grandparents James Stewart Leach and Heni Kaiwhiri in the 1800's. There are many generations of Leach whanau now buried at Whangara.

• Sister Amelia Priestley (1898-1986) taught at Whangara School during the 1940's.

We have many other connections that further associates us with Whangara and to the different whanau that come from here.

Whangara-Mai-Tawhiti

Panorama (Click to enlarge)