Meeting House, Waitangi Treaty Grounds

This carving on the roof of the meeting house (whare) built in 1934 represents, according to our guide, one of the original ancestors of the Maori who sailed to New Zealand from Tahiti in the 14th century.

The meeting house is on the site where the treaty between the British government and the Maori elders was signed in 1840. The Waitangi Treaty set out the terms of the relationship and land rights, but obviously stacked more in favour of the Brit settlers. Waitangi Day is celebrated in NZ in February every year and is quite a big deal.