Omarumutu

Omarumutu is a community in the Ōpōtiki District and Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island, located near the mouth of the Waiaua River.[1]

The settlement is centred around Omarumutu Marae, opened in 1901.[2] It features the Tūtāmure meeting house, built in honour of the ancestral chief of Ngāti Ruatākena, who overcame Ngāti Kahungunu on the Mahia Peninsula. Tūtāmure's original fortifications are still visible; the nearby Makeo peak was one of his strongholds.[3]

Omarumutu War Memorial Hall, located on the marae, was opened by Minister of Māori Affairs Ralph Hanan on 18 March 1961. Bishop Wiremu Panapa and Reverend Rangi Ehu unveiled a memorial tablet inside, presented to Ngāti Ruatākena and Whakatōhea by members of the Māori Battalion, to commemorate both Māori and Pākehā who died during the Boer War, World War I and World War II.[2]

Pine Taiapa oversaw the creation of the carvings, tukutuku and kōwhaiwhai which now decorate the hall. The artwork is promoted as some of the best Māori artwork in the country and is a tourist drawcard, open the public when tangi or other functions are not being held.[4][3]

A memorial cenotaph on the marae, a white column on a concrete base and funeral urn, was initially unveiled with the names of eight local men who died during wars. The names of a further eight who died during World War II and the Vietnam War were added in 1978. A granite memorial stone, also on a concrete base, lists the name of a further four men who died during World War II.[5]

The area includes large tracts of Māori freehold land.[1]

Education

Omarumutu School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[6] with a roll of 84 as of March 2020.[7]

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References
  1. "Omarumutu". landcare.co.nz. Landcare.
  2. Amoamo, Tiwai (March 1984). "The Complementarity of History and Art in Tūtāmure Meeting-House, Ōmarumutu Marae". Journal of the Polynesian Society. 93 (1): 5–37.
  3. "Tirohanga-Omarumutu". exploretheeastcoast.co.nz. Opotiki & District.
  4. Eagles, Jim (26 October 2011). "Carvings celebrate the history of New Zealand's East Cape". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. New Zealand Herald.
  5. "Ōmarumutu War Memorial Hall". nzhistory.govt.nz. Ministry for Primary Industries.
  6. "Omarumutu SchoolMinistry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  7. "Omarumutu SchoolEducation Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.

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