Moata Ariki

 

The waka donated by the Earl of Ranfurly is a feature of the Moata Ariki.

Maota Ariki serves as the official entry point to the Ballroom and is a place to greet, meet and pause before proceeding through to the Ballroom. It displays a collection of art and artefacts that reflect New Zealand’s place in the Pacific, including a model of a waka taua, commissioned by the Earl of Ranfurly, Governor (1897-1904)

The magnificent Kiwi cloak was bought in a Hawke’s Bay store in the mid-1920s by Lady Marjorie Dalrymple, who was Headmistress of Woodford House, Havelock North.  She took it home with her when she returned to Scotland in 1928.  In 1962, she gave it to Sir Bernard Fergusson on the eve of his departure for New Zealand as Governor-General, to be hung in perpetuity in Government House.

The carpet is a kowhaiwhai pattern designed by New Zealand artist Andrew John Tama-Kainga McLeod.  The design references the work of 20th Century New Zealand artist Theo Schoon, who used Māori motifs in his art work.