Memorial stone laid for former Whakarewa Home

A memorial stone for the children of the ‘Whakarewa Boys Home’ has been unveiled, commemorating the many youth who called the property home.

In 1888, the home for children from adverse conditions was established on College St, near the beginning of the Motueka Valley Highway. Originally, it accepted boys only, and in later years, girls too were permitted to seek refuge there, until the establishment closed in 1974.

The building itself was demolished last year, and the memorial sits at the roadside of the bare site. The plaque states that it was a haven for hundreds of tamariki, but some associated with the home estimate that number to be in the thousands.

The unveiling was steeped in emotion for both the former residents, who considered the home a haven through their childhoods, and tangata whenua, who mourned the land being withheld for decades from them as the historical – and present – owners.

Ropata Stephens (Ngāti Rārua and Te Ātiawa) estimates that about 70 people attended the event, which was held late last month and included a blessing of the stone as well as speeches by both tangata whenua and former residents.

“We had inherited the fact that this was a place where children were raised, and we found in our research that they were raised well,” he says, adding that the iwi is very thankful for that fact.”

He says on Sunday there were many children running around kicking soccer balls and chasing balloons – a fitting echo of the home’s past.

The Guardian ran a series last year, telling the stories of some of the Whakarewa Home children who still live in the Top of the South.  Featured were Mike Compton, brothers Neville and Cliff Greaney, and Linda Davies, all of whom gathered for a second blessing of the stone last Friday. Among their emotions was a sense of sadness at the building’s demolition, as some of them hoped the original structure could be refurbished to continue to serve the community.

Mike, who spent seven years in the home, says that the memorial means that “it will always be known that this is the site of the Whakarewa Home”.

Linda agrees, saying that it is great that its history has been acknowledged. “I run my life, still, pretty much how I was taught to here.”

The memorial stone was donated by Ngarua Lime Works quarry manager Mark Simkin, who lived in the home himself for a time as his parents worked as its caretakers.

Two pou will be added to the site in the coming weeks.  The plaque says that the kaitiaki will represent the iwi and hapū of Te Ātiawa and Ngāti Rārua, “past, present and future guardians of this whenua”.

Ropata says that iwi is in talks about the possibility of getting the land’s zoning changed, so that it can be made into residential land for the community.