Te waharoa ki Kororāreka, ko te huinga o nga rangatira

The Kororāreka/Russell waharoa or gateway offers a proud welcome to all our visitors, celebrating our dual heritage, our rich maritime history, and our commitment to the future. The carvings skillfully reflect both Māori and Pākehā interests, relating to the past, the present and the future. They acknowledge tūpuna, whakapapa, kaitiakitanga, whānau, and wairua. The wheku or face on the top of the waharoa invites you to remember the many important chiefs and their people who lived in Kororāreka over the centuries and those who came and went from this remarkable meeting place. These warriors, leaders, and traders were deeply involved in the Māori economy and society across Northland and beyond before Pakeha arrived. They would meet here to listen to each other, to observe the change and to speak of important matters. After the Pakeha arrived but long before Te Tiriti of Waitangi was signed in 1840, these Kororareka chiefs and their people were actively engaged economically and socially with the settlers, sometimes offering protection, trading goods and services, socializing and sharing stories. At this time Kororāreka was the leading economic and social hub of Aotearoa/New Zealand and those shared activities are reflected in the carvings. As you walk through the gateway, we invite you to remember how central Kororāreka/Russell was to New Zealand’s early history and the long-held commitment of the original people of Kororāreka, to Kotahitanga/unity and Hohouterongo/peace – living and working together side by side. This remains an important aspiration for the people of Kororāreka and of New Zealand today and into the future.

A collaborative community project led by Kororāreka marae with the support of Russell Wharf Trust and Far North Holding Ltd. Kaiwhakairo / Carver Tony Makiha.