Rebuild Tapu Te Ranga Marae

Unfortunately Tapu Te Ranga Marae of Island Bay burned to the ground in a horrific fire in the early hours of the morning on Sunday the 9th of June 2019. Once the largest wooden structure made of recycled materials, now flattened. In the fire at Tapu Te Ranga more than just our homes were lost in a physical sense, but our home in a spiritual sense, our tūrangawaewae.

We have lost our taonga, the keep sakes of our ancestors and our homes in this awful incident and we mourn for the loss of a place for our wider community.

Tapu Te Ranga was built by our grandfather Bruce Stewart over 40 years ago, an ex-prisoner with only $25 and a dream he raised up a community marae, welcoming everyone and anyone that needed a place to belong. Our marae has been called home by manuhiri (visitors) from every part of Wellington and the Wider Aotearoa Community.

As a whānau we are devastated, although like our grandfather we will rebuild.

At this time we require much much more finance to rebuild Tapu Te Ranga Marae as due to circumstances we are not covered by insurance. We have a mammoth task ahead. After serving our community who have shown us only love at this time, we would like to reach out to you for your support. Any koha (donation) big or small would be very much appreciated.

Finally, thank you to the emergency services and our local and wider community for the outpouring of aroha and support that we have already received.

From the bottom of our hearts as the whānau at Tapu Te Ranga Marae,

Thank You.

"Nā te ringa tangata i hanga te whare

Nā te tuarā o te whare i whakatipu i te tangata -

We who build the house are built by the house"