Artist: Stu McDonald and Te Ahipoutu Collective
At the Bayfair roundabout, 2 pou whenua have been installed: on the Matapihi side, a pou whenua represents Rāwiri Puhirake, and on the Arataki/Bayfair side, a pou whenua represents Penetaka Tuaia.
Rāwiri Puhirake – pou whenua
Rāwiri Puhirake (Tuaia) was the most renown Ngāi Te Rangi rangatira of his time. His primary hapū was Ngāi Tukairangi, but he was also able to whakapapa to Ngāti Tapu; both hapū of Matapihi and Otamataha. His father Whakapā and mother Hinerangi were key figures in his early life. In 1820, Ngā Puhi attacked Mauao, killing his father, and capturing him and his cousin, Penetaka Tuaia. Both cousins were taken to the Far North under a protective guise, due to their status as rangatira (chief). Whilst there, they received military training under Te Ruki Kawiti and in 1828, they returned to Tauranga in exchange for hostages.
By the 1850s, Rāwiri had become a skilled leader of Ngāi Te Rangi. In response to the alarming British incursion into our area following a litany of broken promises, he led our people in the Battle of Pukehinahina (Gate Pā) on 29 April 1864, and Te Ranga on 21 June 1864.
Renown sayings still fill the air. With the Battle of Pukehinahina he offers inspiration with ‘Kia ū, kia ū, kaore e tae mai te pākeha! Stand fast, stand fast; the white men will not reach us!’ His leadership was a beacon of strength. At the height of the cannonade, he shouted to his tribesmen reassuringly ‘Ko te manawa-rere, ko te manawa-rere, kia u, kia u! Trembling hearts, trembling hearts, be firm, be firm!’
Our people fought with honor, and there are accounts citing the generous treatment of the British wounded during these battles. The same cannot be said of the style of British victory at Te Ranga, where it is said they looted the dead. Rāwiri was killed at Te Ranga. In 1964, 100 years after the Battle of Pukehinahina, a 6-meter-high red granite memorial was erected in his honor at Otamataha Pā on Te Papa peninsula. This pou whenua also honors our tupuna Rāwiri. We will forever be inspired by his bravery, military skills, and leadership.
Story provided by Ngāi Tukairangi and Ngāti Tapu.
Penetaka Tuaia – pou whenua
Penetaka Tuaia, born around 1809 served his people as a military mastermind and is revered as a battle site architectural genius. He is Ngāi Te Rangi through his Ngāi Tukairangi and Ngāti Tapu hapū heritage.
His father was Rangiaohia, and he married Umukaraka of Ngāti Rangi from Wairoa. In the 1850s, Penetaka became a rangatira and oversaw the design of the fortified Poteriwhi pā, which was strategically located above the Wairoa River in Tauranga. He later went on to assist his people with resisting British colonial incursion into Tauranga Moana.
Penetaka’s military engineering experience, gained during the Northern War of 1845-46, influenced the complex defenses of Pukehinahina pā. His design, including anti-artillery bunkers, could withstand a day-long bombardment and contributed to our victory against the British at Pukehinahina. Following that battle, Māori briefly rested at Poteriwhi pā.
Seven weeks later, the British attacked again at Te Ranga, but this time by surprise. His cousin, Rāwiri Puhirake, was unfortunately killed. The landscape of Tauranga following that Battle was forever changed.
Penetaka continued to exercise resistance. He protested the surveying of confiscated lands during the 1867 Tauranga Bush Campaign and sought revenge for the death of Rāwiri Puhirake at Te Ranga. Penetaka died at Te Puna on 3 July 1889.
In 2018, Tauranga began honoring its rich cultural history with street names like Penetaka Heights, Te Ranga Memorial Drive, Puhirake Crescent, and Materāwaho Way, recognising the legacy of these battles and the ongoing impact on tangata whenua. To honor our tupuna, this pou whenua is further recognition of his exemplary skills and character as a leader.
Story provided by Ngāi Tukairangi and Ngāti Tapu.
Wahine Māori lintels
Above both entrances/exits and in the middle of the underpass, pare (lintels) represent wahine Māori to welcome people entering Ngāi Tukairangi and Ngāti Tapu rohe (area). The 4 pare feature the names and elements of places where the underpass is situated and sites of significance close by: Te Papa o Matapihi, Horoipia, Te Ohuki and Te Manu Whakahoro.
