TIROHIA
Although the physical site of Maungatautari Marae remains the same, there have been dramatic changes to the buildings through the years. The Tirohia that now stands has replaced the old Tirohia, but before that, there was no building and our tūpuna would sit on the Marae Ātea to eat. As testament to this statement, the kōrero is, is that one of our Kings attending a hui at Maungatautari watched our tupuna having their kai there and said,”Hangaia he wharekai mā koutou, kā TIROHIA koutou i te tangata.”
A whare was purchased from Cambridge, moved out to the marae and renovated as the wharekai. This building was opened in 1937 and appropriately named TIROHIA as a result of the kōrero. Although not a large room, the dining hall seated 130 people and memories shared by tūpuna say that “…the dining hall had to be reset at every hui.”
This building became very dilapidated over the years and it was decided that this old wharekai be demolished and a new building erected. The Maungatautari whānau worked many long hard hours to raise all of the money needed to build the Tirohia that stands today, through selling raffles, holding socials, manning regatta stalls and card games and in December 1985 it was completed. In Tirohia today, a big mural painted across the back wall shows the papa kainga and kaumatua that lived in the area in the old days e.g. Kara Ere no Kahunungu, Te Poka Ngati Pango o te Kaokaoroa o Peitetere, Pire no Ngati Haua, Ngati Tioro a Tama, Tairi o Ngati Koroki.
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