After nearly a decade of planning and fundraising, restoration work on the historic Rātana Temple in the small Manawatū town of Raetihi will begin next week – marking a major milestone for Te Pāriha o Raetihi and supporters across Aotearoa.
By Moana Ellis of Local Democracy Reporting
A community blessing will be held at the site on King’s Birthday, June 1, before restoration work starts the following day with the demolition of the temple’s two towers.
Aroha Williams said the project had been driven by years of determination, generosity and belief in the kaupapa.
“In 2017 it was the dream of my sister Bertz to fully restore our Whare Whakamoemiti."
"Through a chance meeting and then incredibly generous and ongoing support of Auckland architects Christina van Bohemen and Aaron Sills, we are now actually ready to begin.”
Originally a gothic church built by Māori Methodists in the 1920s, it was later gifted to the Rātana movement and converted into a temple and opened in 1926.
Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana, the founder of the Rātana movement, named the temple Taku Whare Tuatahi (My First House). The centenary of this opening will be in 2026.
Williams said whānau and supporters had worked for years to raise funds for the restoration and preserve the iconic building.
“While we are still fundraising, being able to start building has only been made possible through the generosity of whānau from around Aotearoa and the world.
“Whether through a raffle ticket, a donation, or a koha, everyone has played an integral part in helping turn the dream of Bertz into reality.”
The project had been awaiting building consent before restoration works could begin. The work will be led by Mōrehu builder Piha Smith of Kaihanga in Raetihi.
Williams said the whakamoemiti at 11am on Monday would acknowledge the many people who had contributed to the project and celebrate the start of restoration works.
“We want to sincerely thank everyone who has supported us. From the bottom of our hearts, we are so grateful for your generosity, your koha, your aroha and your belief in this kaupapa.”
Once the towers are demolished, the temple will be lifted and moved to the paddock behind, allowing work to begin on the new foundations.
Williams said the restoration represented both the preservation of an iconic and architecturally significant building and the ongoing revitalisation of Raetihi.
The restoration has also received major support from the Awhero Nui Charitable Trust, Four Regions Trust, John Preston Trust, Ruapehu District Council through the Better Off fund, Te Puna Tahua – Lottery Grants Board and the Whanganui Community Foundation.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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