Kotahitanga: O Wairoa Marae in the Tainui Garden of Memories

When Emilia Maud Nixon came to Howick in 1925, she set out to create a space where Māori and Pākehā members of the community could come together. She created the Tainui Garden of Memories under a simple premise of imagining Kotahitanga, unity. This foundational principle of the Tainui Garden of Memories has remained since Emilia Maud Nixon, upheld and nurtured through supporters and kaitiaki, particularly Whaea Taini Drummond who has looked after the Tainui Garden of Memories since 1983.

In the past thirty years, the Tainui Garden of Memories has become O Wairoa Marae. This transition reflects the relationships founded by Emilia Maud Nixon and, despite violent events and confrontation, the resilience and leadership of Whaea Taini Drummond. In this exhibition, the history and purpose of O Wairoa Marae in the Tainui Garden of Memories is explored through kōrero, taonga and artefacts, all of which have remained onsite through this history.

The marae, garden and Emilia Maud Nixon’s collection that sit within are a unique and cherished part of the community, a living taonga that amplifies togetherness and respect for all peoples – tuku aroha.