Paeroa’s newest mural was officially blessed on November 25, and its name announced as Te Pare o te Waitangi ō Hinemuri.
The colourful mural, depicting the local story of a Māori princess, was painted on the side of the E Ronnie’s Cafe on Corbett St by Wellington artist Regan Balzer over a number of days.
The project was backed by the Paeroa Business Association (PBA) with funding from the Hauraki District Council Public Art Fund, along with contributions from local businesses.
The ceremony was attended by PBA and council members, locals, and business owners, along with the Te Kura Tuatahi o Paeroa, Paeroa Central School kapa haka group, who performed in recognition of the mural’s theme embracing the local stories and worldview of this region’s mana whenua (people).
Whaea Chrissy Te Teira, the school’s cultural advisor, spoke about the mural’s iconography and deeper meaning.
“A lot of what you see on the wall today has come from stories that have been passed down to us… to do with our local or significant sites,” she said.
“This mural represents whakapapa, connections to the landscape and environment, the mana whenua and their relationships to their taiao natural environment.”
Included in the mural are representations of the mountains Karangahake and Tapu Ariki; the Ohinemuri River; and the arrival of Ngāti Hako.
A kōtare or kingfisher serves as the guardian of the mural and perches on the pare or lintel depicting the gateway to Hauraki.
Central to the image is the princess, who was separated from her people and cared for by the taniwhā Ureia.
She represented the ancestors of the people of Hauraki, Chrissy said, along with the knowledge and spirit of the land.
“Literally Te Waitangi ō Hinemuri means the sobbing cries of Hine who had been left behind, and these tears are the rushing sounds of the river,” Chrissy said.
The mural was also a celebration of Māori women, Chrissy and Regan said.
“Ō Hinemuri – Hine means female, muri is behind,” Regan said.
“There’s a saying in Te Aō Maori [which] is acknowledging ngā hāpai o ki muri. Ki muri is the people who do the work behind the scenes because it’s those people who are often unacknowledged that get things happening and get things working.”
