SITED PROMINENTLY on a spur of land overlooking the fertile land of the Waiapu valley,
St Mary’s church was the gift and the inspiration of Sir Apirana Ngata (1874–1950), one of the most influential and illustrious Maori leaders of the 20th century.

Ngata was “a man of such extraordinary gifts of intelligence, energy and foresight,” writes his biographer, Ranginui Walker, “that among his own Ngati Porou tribe he was esteemed as a god among men.”

At a time when many Pakeha were content to “smooth the pillow of the dying race,” Ngata sought to restore the fortunes of his people, equipping them with the skills they needed to survive in a new, colonial world while ensuring they kept alive the traditions of their own culture.

Among those traditions were Maori arts and crafts. Ngata was a passionate champion of carving and the decorative arts, of Maori music, dance and haka, of poetry and linguistic traditions. He saw large building projects, such as meeting houses and churches, as a way to showcase “the heirlooms of the ancestors” and to preserve and foster their practice.

St Mary’s, however, was to be more than just a gallery of fine carvings, decorated rafters and woven panels. It would serve as a poignant reminder of the sacrifice Ngati Porou troops had made in serving overseas. And so a monument of a World War I soldier—complete with “lemon squeezer” hat and rifle—stands on the hillside behind the church, gazing towards the east: to the mouth of the sacred Waiapu River, to the Pacific Ocean and to the sunrise and moonrise.

Ngata was four years away from being appointed Minister of Maori Affairs (though he had been an MP for 19) when work started on the church in 1924. He personally supervised the weaving of tukutuku (panels) for the interior walls and the painting of kowhaiwhai patterns on the rafters. Most of the carving was undertaken by Hone Ngatoto, a renowned Waiapu tohunga whakairo (master carver), but contributions came from elsewhere: the pulpit, which is supported by six figures—upholding, as it were, the Word of God—was the gift of Arawa carvers, while the communion rail came from Waikato tribes.

Throughout the interior of the building, Maori and Pakeha motifs mingle—an artistic expression of Ngata’s belief in the equality of the two cultures. For instance, in the wall panels, woven Christian crosses mingle with Maori star and angle patterns, and are surrounded by the carved faces of ancestors.

As a tribute to Ngata’s vision, St Mary’s is unsurpassed. It encapsulates visually the words of wisdom he wrote in a child’s autograph book: “Turn your hand to the tools of the Pakeha for the wellbeing of your body. Turn your heart to the treasures of your ancestors as a crown for your head. Give your soul unto God, the author of all things.”