The burned wharenui at Hui Te Rangiora Marae in Hamilton. Photo: RNZ / Natalie Akoorie
Police are treating a fire at Hui Te Rangiora Marae early on Sunday morning as suspicious.
The interior of the meeting house on Clarence Street, named Tū Waerae, was completely gutted by the fire, while the carvings on the outside have suffered some smoke damage but are still relatively intact.
Deputy chairperson of the Marae Committee Jack Keogh said whānau of the marae were in shock.
"I guess all the emotions that you experience when you lose a person," he said.
Keogh said the marae is a place that has given so much to the people of the local community, from holding tangihanga to wānanga for schools.
"There's smoke damage to the koruru but the other [exterior] carvings seem to be ok. [The] inside is totally gone, so all the tukutuku panels and the photos inside are totally burnt down to the foundations.
"But the mahau (porch) and the carvings at this stage they look to have a bit of damage but considering the rest of the whare they're still ok."
The burned wharenui at Hui Te Rangiora Marae in Hamilton. Photo: RNZ / Natalie Akoorie
The marae was built in the 1960s and opened in 1966 by the Māori Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu.
It was originally associated with the Catholic Church, and while it still is, the marae is open to everybody who needs a marae, Keogh said.
Many whānau and locals have come down to the marae since the fire to grieve, he said.
"While we can't go inside the whare just being in front of it to deal with the shock I suppose. So right now as a marae [we're] just looking to manaaki our community, our whānau that are wishing to come down and grieve."
Keogh said the immediate job of the marae committee was to support the whānau who are feeling the loss of the wharenui then work out what the next steps are.
"On behalf of the marae... we want to express our aroha to all those who have sent messages and their support, so just a big thank you for all the kind words we're getting from the community."
The cause of the fire was unknown.
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