StoryMap Introduction

In Remuera in 1844 a great feast or hākiri was hosted by tangata whenua Ngāti Whātua near Ohinerau Mt Hobson and Te Kopuke Mt St John. In attendance were manuhiri (guests) from Tāmaki-Makaurau, the Waikato, and the Bay of Plenty, along with the Governor of New Zealand and his officials. In the 19th century, there were many spectacular feasts or hākari, which drew the attention of colonial observers, commentators, and artists.

The Remuera hākari was the subject of a well-known watercolour by artist Joseph Jenner Merrett who observed the feast on the day of 11th May 1844.

This StoryMap of the feast and its location is mainly a selection of historical details put into a booklet written by Sue Cooper, chair of Remuera Heritage, entitled The Great Māori Feast at Remuera, which is available for sale. Sue, the lead researcher for the Great Feast project, provided the text for the sections of this StoryMap leading up to the site analysis. She has also researched most of the old photographs and documents that make up much of the graphics. The technical work in creating the StoryMap and the geospatial images have been the work of Tony Batistich, who provides Remuera Heritage with voluntary geographic skills and knowledge.

The final section of the StoryMap is given over to a discussion on where the exact site may have been. It is not intended to be conclusive, rather a stimulus for readers to do some research of their own and submit points of interest to the society.

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