About Otamatea Marae

About Otamatea Marae

Otamatea Marae is the tupuna marae for the Ngāti Whātua tribal people. It was established by order of the Māori Land Court on 14 August 1946.

Aotearoa our wharenui was the original whare rūnanga for Ngāti Whātua and was relocated from Shelly Beach to its present position in remembrance of our tupuna who lost their lives in 1825.

The guiding principle for Otamatea Marae is:

Te wehi ki te Atua
Te aroha ki te tangāta
Me te whakaaro pai ki nga iwi katoa.

Glory to God the creator
Concern and respect for our fellow men
Goodwill to all people.

Marae facilities

Our main facilities consist of  our wharenui Aotearoa, our wharekai Te Puna Ora and Kakaraea Church.

Aotearoa is our main building and is used for meetings, gatherings and tangihanga.  It provides sleeping accommodation for approximately 100 people.

Cooking and eating are carried out in the wharekai where approximately 200 people can be seated.

Shower and toilet facilities are adjacent to Aotearoa.

Kakaraea Church seats approximately 100 people.

Otamatea Marae logo

Our logo depicts the joining of two hands in peace and harmony. The fern represents Māori people and their contribution to the peace process.

The main colours are ochre, a traditional colour which derives from the earth and is used in our wharenui; and blue to represent the Kaipara harbour, our ancestral tupuna.