Tūrangawaewae Marae

Tūrangawaewae marae is located on River Road in Ngāruawāhia, on the banks of the Waikato River. The primary hapū for this marae are Ngāti Mahuta and Ngāti Te Weehi of Waikato-Tainui. The main whare tupuna are Mahinaarangi (1929) and Turongo (1938), which is the Māori monarch’s official residence.

The establishment of Tūrangawaewae marae during the 1920s and 1930s was guided by the influential Waikato – and indeed New Zealand – leader, Te Puea Hērangi, a granddaughter of King Tāwhiao. Te Puea succeeded in renewing the King movement as a vehicle to empower her people. That she was able to do this during a time of economic depression is a testimony to her considerable leadership skills.

The marae was built on land purchased in 1921 by Te Puea Herangi. Tūrangawaewae is the headquarters for the Māori King Movement (Te Kīngitanga). Until her death in 2006, the marae was the official residence of the sixth Māori monarch, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu.