More Info →Interior of the Rangiātea Māori Church, Otaki

Rangiātea Church in Otaki, New Zealand was the oldest Māori Anglican church in New Zealand. In 1848, Te Rauparaha who had just returned to Otaki from Australia, issued the challenge of building the church to the chief of Te Wehiwehi, who accepted. It was built under the direction of Te Rauparaha and English missionary Octavius Hadfield. During the original construction large tōtara logs had to be floated down rivers at nearby Ohau and Waikawa. The logs became the ridge pole and the central pillars of the church. The rafters, pillars and slabs were also made from tōtara. The design of the church is unique in that it incorporates ideas from both English and Māori church design. Completed in 1851, the building was burnt down by an arsonist in 1995, and by 2003 the church had been completely rebuilt. Also see 2014P_IMCA-DigitalMaster_008505 and 2014P_IMCA-DigitalMaster_008507