Te Whare Hononga
TE WHARE HONONGA
Te Whare Hononga means The House That Binds - a creative partnership between Ngāti Te Whiti and Taranaki Cathedral’s Church of St Mary, sharing the message of justice and reconciliation. Te Whare Hononga is a safe place to gather as a community, hold wānanga, and learn our shared history,
The Architecture is inspired by the image of a kono (food basket) - the wooden beams placed in a woven pattern, with points of meeting, crossing, and uniting. The building sits as a parallelogram orientated to face Paritutu.
EXHIBITION & EDUCATION
Te Whare Hononga is a whare wānanga - a flexible purpose-built education space that allows its intent to emerge with each visitor's experience. It is a home of story-telling, rich with visual elements to spark the imagination. Every detail has been crafted by Mana Whenua to inspire the journey of honest reflection.
Visitors are invited to watch the nine-minute animated video, an honest retelling of St Mary’s conflicted relationship with Taranaki Māori, paying special attention to voices that have called for peace for generations.
There are four contemporary pou, each with an interactive multimedia display, to help us explore the following areas:
Whakapapa – connections to people & creation
Mana Motuhake –indigenous decision-making
Taonga Tuku Iho – caring for environmental treasures
Whakapono – perspectives of faith, hope & love
VISITING HOURS
9am-3pm Monday-Friday
Entrance free. Koha welcome.
Te Whare Hononga offers a free exhibition exploring our shared history. There is no requirement to be formally welcomed into the space, you’re welcome to come right in. Volunteers are available in Te Whare Hononga to offer manaakitanga and answer questions as you explore the space. We are occasionally closed for private bookings. Please fill out a booking form before planning your visit.
Te Whare Hononga is purpose-built for kaupapa Māori, reconciliation events and training.If you wish to hire Te Whare Hononga for a private event please see our venue hire page.
SCHOOL VISITS & GUIDED TOURS
Te Whare Hononga is a purpose-built education space, perfect for school visits. Teachers are welcome to bring their classes free of charge for self-guided learning.
If you desire additional input, we offer 60-minute guided tours with a historical overview of Pūkākā Pā and the stories connected to Taranaki Cathedral. We visit the settler gravesite, the Waikato Warriors’ Memorial, and then spend time in Te Whare Hononga viewing the video and exhibition screens.
Advanced bookings for school visits and tours are essential.