THE PARADE

THe history of te aro pā

Did you know that Te Aro Park is actually a Pā site!

The Parade and Street Celebration take place on Te Aro Pā,which was one of the largest pā in the Wellington region, coveringapproximately five acres at the time of European colonisation. Te Aro Pā,alongside Pipitea and Kumutoto, was one of the three pā within the innerharbour area. By the early 1840s approximately 60-80 acres of cultivatedcentral Wellington land was associated with the pā. At its height it supporteda population of nearly 200 people, with many others living there on a temporarybasis. It was built by Ngāti Mutunga, a tribe that migrated to the area with TeĀti Awa.

The pā was built on the original shoreline of the harbouralongside the Waimapihi Stream with the Waitangi Stream to the east and theWaikoukou Stream to the west.

The harbour was a food basket and the pā had extensive cultivations that covered an area of 25 to 30 hectares immediately to the southto Pukeahu (Mt Cook), with further cultivation areas at Omāroro (Vogeltown) and Paekawakawa (Island Bay).

The vital connection to the shoreline and cultivations was quickly severed by the rapid colonisation of the city. There was little concernfor iwi who found themselves surrounded by an alien culture which had little tolerance of their communal society. Within 50 years of the 1839 arrival of the NZ Company the pāand traditional Māori settlement in Wellington had disappeared.

The remains of three ponga structures and associated archaeological featuresthat constitute the extent of this registration are the only known remains ofthis once extensive settlement. These structures are closely associated withprominent Maori figures of the nineteenth century who are of nationalsignificance.

In 1908 a building was erected upon this site, and remained in place untilNovember 2005. The archaeological remains of the three ponga structures werediscovered during demolition for the redevelopment of the site. The structureshave been preserved in situ and interpreted and can be visited by the public.

The site is of outstanding archaeological, architectural, cultural, historical,social, and traditional significance due to their association with earlyWellington and North Island iwi, the archaeological rarity of the site, theeducational value of the place as an example of early Maori residentialarchitecture, and their strong associations with figures of cultural and socialimportance to Maori and Pakeha New Zealanders.

The site is located at 39-43 Taranaki Street in the CBD. Here you can see theremains of two whare ponga (huts) built from fern trunks, Archaeologicalfeatures, Interpretive signage, and an exhibition about the history of Te Aro Pā.

Thanks to Cupa Dupa and Heritage New Zealand for this information.