Te Aitanga a Mahaki’s war memorial at Takipū Marae, near Te Karaka, was opened on 8 March 1958. The Hon. Ereuera Tirikatene, MP, opened the whare kai, Turanga Tangatarite, while Colonel K.A. Keiha, former commander of 28th Māori Battalion, opened the new carved meeting house, Te Poho o Pikihoro (some sources have this the other way round). The buildings were dedicated by the Rt. Rev. W. Panapa, Bishop of Aotearoa.
A memorial stone and plaque commemorating the event were unveiled on 22 March 2008. The inscription on the plaque reads in part: “This stone is also in remembrance of those who made the greatest sacrifice during the conflicts of war. Lest we forget.”
See: ‘Gems of Maori Carving: New Meeting House’, NZ Herald, 8/3/1958, p. 14; ‘Dedication Ceremonies at Takipu Meeting-House’, Gisborne Herald, 10/3/1958, p. 8; ‘A Wave of Gatherings’, Te Ao Hou, no. 23, July 1958, pp. 9, 46-8; Takipū Marae website.
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