From a site Known as Tau Kokako as Koro Pat Wipani remembers a marae once stood. When he was growing up as a very young boy he remembers.
Early in the 1920's the Ratana movement was born. Many people were attracted to the teachings and the promise of happiness they followed to get away from some of the bad things that had plagued them for so many years. This was especially true of the people of Ngati Ruanui. Almost over night the whanau of Ngati Hawe uplifted there personal belongings and moved to Ratana just south of Wanganui.
Koro Pat was born in 1925 and his family also moved from Ararata to Ratana. He recalls that all was left behind except the meeting house and buildings that were moved also. They left behind their houses many with the furniture still there. After a time some of the people returned to Ararata. His father returned first, to be followed after a couple of years by the rest of the family. His father like so many others of Ngati Hawe helped with the farming in the area carried out by the many Pakeha farmers living there at the time. These farmers were on leasehold land belonging to the Hapu. It is very evident today that the Hapu was seriously disadvantaged by these leases and all the advantage was gained by the farmers. Despite this there was happiness in Pats family even though they lived in a one room tin shed. He recalls that the open wood fire often caused the house to be set alight if they overstocked the fire. Life was good for the young ones as there was plenty to do and catching eels and crayfish from the streams and rivers nearby. It was mid thirties by this time and Pat remember his early school days at Ararata school fondly. He also remembers the scary things such as the huge Rata tree that grew beside the road which they believed was haunted as it has been struck by lightning and was dying. Don't go near it at night he was told. On another occasion he and his brothers and sisters were told to keep away from the corner of the Urapa where there was a mound in the corner. He later discovered this was a combined grave where people that died during a flu epidemic some years earlier were buried. He also recalls that the area wasn't always known as Ararata and instead was known as Makino. These comments and more to come hopefully by many others will help us build a picture of the people and stories of our heritage.

(To be Continued )

Picture from the old Marae site at Ararata near Hawera South Taranaki

The remains of a huge Rata Tree that was destroyed by lightning  and was believed to be Haunted

Tau Kokako Marae at Ararata 1920