Givealittle page raises more than $40,000 for Wellington marae that burnt to the ground

June 10, 2019

Dozens of people were asleep inside the Marae when it went up in flames.

More than $40,000 has been raised in less than 24 hours for Wellington's Tapu Te Ranga Marae that was burnt to the ground in a fiery blaze yesterday morning. 

A Givealittle page was set up asking for support and funding to rebuild.  In the past 20 hours (as of 10.30am today), $46,328 has been given by 914 donors.

"Any koha big or small would be very much appreciated. We are grateful for the outpouring of aroha we have received thus far," Tapu-te-Ranga Trust spokesperson Gabriel Tupou said in a statement.

Fire engines were called to the marae in Island Bay, Wellington at 12:30am on Sunday morning, Fire and Emergency told 1 NEWS.

Multiple buildings were on fire but the main meeting house was saved.

Tapu Te Ranga whānau watched in horror as their sacred home and many taonga were destroyed over the weekend.

Seventeen fire trucks worked to attack the fire from the outside. 

Thirty-six people including 27 young cub Scouts were lucky to escape from inside.

Two families living on the property lost everything with their home engulfed in the blaze.

"If it wasn't for the leaders this would be an absolute tragedy," Ngaio Scout Hadyn Nicholls told 1 NEWS.

The 50-metre high marae collapsed around midnight and while one of the three meeting houses managed to survive the fire, many taonga were lost.

"We've lost some personal family items, photos of our tupuna, and other valuable artworks. but I reiterate that it is the people that make the marae, that bring it to life," Ms Tupou says.

"The passion that the whanau and the community have for our whare is still strong as ever. We've lost a building, but we haven't lost its soul."

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

"Firstly, we are grateful that the manuhiri, our neighbours and the residents of the Marae whanau are all safe."

"We would like to acknowledge the quick response of the fire service, ambulance, police, Māori wardens and council volunteers who successfully protected the surrounding properties of Rhine Street, Island Bay," the statement reads.

"We mourn for the loss of our kuia, Pare Waaka who was built by the late rangatira Bruce Stewart, his whanau, Māori youth and volunteers over the last 45 years.

"We are devastated that a number of our whare have been tragically taken by the fire. However the heart of the Marae is the whanau and we are determined to rebuild the Marae with the aroha and support of our community."


 

SHARE ME

More Stories