Tapu Te Ranga Marae

Tapu Te Ranga Marae was established in 1974 by Māori playwright Bruce Stewart in Island Bay, Wellington. Its origins lay in Stewart’s response to the difficulties faced by young Māori who had moved to Wellington expecting employment but were unable to find work. After leaving prison with very limited resources, Stewart began collecting young people in a van and taking them to workshops in Newtown, where they could learn to make furniture from recycled timber. He subsequently helped connect them with The Workshop, a community art space where they could learn carving. The initiative developed into a broader vision of urban Māori community life. After a violent incident in Wellington in December 1974 prompted public discussion about race relations and Māori social conditions, Wellington mayor Michael Fowler visited Stewart and asked what could be done. Stewart’s response was that Māori wanted to live Māori. The marae became a practical expression of that principle, combining cultural identity, community support, creative work, accommodation, and collective self-reliance. Stewart leased approximately 24 hectares from the Home of Compassion. Construction continued for around 30 years and was carried out by Stewart with assistance from his whānau, tradespeople, local youth, and gang members. The principal building was constructed into a hillside that was manually levelled into seven sections using picks and shovels. Its frame used wooden cases formerly employed to transport vehicles from Japan, while other parts incorporated salvaged doors, stained-glass windows, and recycled timber recovered from demolition projects. The resulting ten-storey building, named Pare Waaka, was an unusual hand-built complex containing stairways, rooms, artworks, sculptures, and spaces described as mystical or labyrinthine. It became a significant local cultural and architectural landmark and was listed as a heritage site. Stewart lived at the marae until his death in 2017, and his personal leadership remained central to the project’s identity. At approximately 12:30 a.m. on 9 June 2019, the main building caught fire and was destroyed. A group of 27 Ngaio Scouts, nine adults, and other occupants escaped without injury. More than 50 firefighters responded. The supplied reference describes a brazier spark entering a storeroom as the suspected source. After the fire, public attention also focused on earlier council safety concerns: some buildings had reportedly been deemed dangerous in 2015, while only one structure had building consent. The sources provided do not establish the later condition of the wider site or whether the marae continued operating in another form, so its current status remains unknown.

• 2019

  Main building destroyed by fire

  [1]Tapu Te Ranga Maraeen.wikipedia.org

  The principal ten-storey building was destroyed by fire on 9 June. All reported occupants escaped without injury.

• 2017

  Death of founder Bruce Stewart

  [1]Tapu Te Ranga Maraeen.wikipedia.org

  Bruce Stewart, who had lived at and led the marae for decades, died.

• 1974

  Marae founded

  [1]Tapu Te Ranga Maraeen.wikipedia.org

  Bruce Stewart founded Tapu Te Ranga Marae in Wellington as a Māori community and cultural project serving young Māori and promoting Māori ways of living in an urban environment.

• 1974

  Land leased from the Home of Compassion

  [1]Tapu Te Ranga Maraeen.wikipedia.org

  Stewart leased approximately 24 hectares from the Home of Compassion, enabling the long-term development of the marae complex.

A community-led Māori cultural and social centre distinguished by urban Māori identity, collective self-build construction, reuse of materials, and support for young people and creative learning.

• Marae and cultural centre · 1974

  Tapu Te Ranga Marae community complex

  The marae provided a Māori community setting in Wellington for cultural practice, social support, creative work, learning, accommodation, and hosting visitors. Its identity was inseparable from its collective construction and its role as an urban Māori institution. The main building, Pare Waaka, was destroyed by fire in 2019.

• Architectural landmark

  Pare Waaka

  Pare Waaka was the marae’s principal ten-storey building. Built over approximately three decades, it used hand-shaped hillside sections, recycled timber, vehicle transport cases, salvaged doors, stained glass, and other recovered materials. Its interior was known for interconnected stairways, rooms, art, and sculpture. The building was completely destroyed by fire in June 2019.

• 2019

  Response to destruction of the main buildingOther

  Background

  A fire destroyed the principal ten-storey building while people were staying inside.

  Action taken

  Fire services attended and occupants were evacuated safely. The supplied sources do not document a subsequent rebuilding or formal operational decision.

  Aftermath

  The building was lost, and later reporting raised questions about the safety classification and building-consent history of structures on the site.

  Source

• 1974

  Creation of an urban Māori community projectStrategy

  Background

  Young Māori arriving in Wellington for work were experiencing unemployment and limited support. Bruce Stewart had already begun directing young people toward practical workshops and community arts activities.

  Action taken

  Stewart developed a marae intended to support Māori cultural life, practical learning, creative work, and collective self-determination in the city.

  Aftermath

  The project grew into a large community and cultural complex built over approximately 30 years.

  Source

1. 1Tapu Te Ranga Maraeen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Tapu Te Ranga Marae official websitetaputeranga.maori.nz