This memorial at Papawai Pā, near Greytown in Wairarapa, commemorates Ngāti Kahungunu leader Hamuera Tamahau Mahupuku (c. 1840-1904).
The original memorial, built in 1911, was severely damaged in the 1942 Wairarapa earthquakes. In 1982, Minister of Māori Affairs Ben Couch unveiled a new memorial, which consisted of the four panels and two of the four Corinthian pillars from the former monument.
Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Plaque commemorating the unveiling of the rebuilt Mahupuku memorial by Hon. Ben Couch on 22 May 1982.
Papawai thrived under the leadership of Mahupuku until his death in 1904. During this time, Mahupuku built an ornately carved gateway onto the marae. A continuous line of carved figures, most facing inwards to symbolise peace between Māori and Pākehā, and all formed from a single totara tree, surrounded the area. The area became depopulated after 1930 and the gateway and the figures disappeared. In the late 1980s, carvers created a replica from a photograph of the old gateway.
More information
Pāpāwai, the Māori capital – roadside stories
Hāmuera Tamahau Mahupuku – Dictionary of New Zealand Biography
Pāpāwai marae – Te Ara The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Community contributions