The Journey of the Nga Hau E Wha Marae began with the growing recognition of the need for a spiritual and cultural home for South Island Maori.

In the mid 1970s the site in Pages Road, Aranui was gifted by the Christchurch City Council to South Island Maori. The land was set aside for Nga Maata Waka, the members of South Island tribes not aligned with Ngai Tahu, who had no cultural centre.

The gateway to the Marae, seen as a symbol of the strength and enduring nature of the project, was formally opened by the then Governor-General, Sir David Beattie in November of 1982.
In 1987, after being beset by delays and financial wrangling, the administration of the Marae, Nga Hau E Wha Christchurch National Marae Incorporated was placed into liquidation and the Government assumed responsibility for the completion of the project. The Marae became Crown land, administered by the Ministry of Maori Affairs.
Nga Hau E Wha Marae, the first urban national marae, was opened in 1990.

While the passage of the Nga Hau E Wha Marae to this point was not always a smooth one, the turmoil of the early years nurtured a determination and strength of spirit that would see the Marae grow to become a centre for culture, entertainment and education for Christchurch and the South Island.

The control of the Marae was transferred on June 20th 1991 to the newly formed Nga Hau E Wha Trust Board. The administration became the responsibility of the charitable trust and a manager was appointed to run the Marae.

The trust set out to make the Marae self-supporting through a programme of hiring out facilities and education services.

In 1993 the New Zealand Qualifications Authority recognised the Marae's private training establishment, which offers pre-vocational training in association with Skill New Zealand and Work and Income New Zealand.
The beginning of one of the most successful tourism ventures at the Marae, A Night of Maori Magic in 1995, confirmed the new era of profitability for Nga Hau E Wha, attracting more than 100 people per week in its first year.

The cultural mission of the Marae was supported by the establishment of a tour programme for schools and tourists, while the marketing of convention and function facilities widened the Marae's economic focus.

The Nga Hau E Wha Marae has played host to many significant cultural events, including the International Conference for Indigenous Women of the World and the Nga Kuia Moko exhibition. It has also acted as a base for Maori radio, Tahu FM, and the Otautahi Maori Wardens.

Over the course of its twenty-year history, the Nga Hau E Wha Marae has chartered a course that has paralleled recent developments for Maori in New Zealand: from its tumultuous beginnings to a period of economic growth, strong cultural identity and a renewed hope for the future.

The Marae now stands alone as a successful tourism operation and an inclusive community centre, and is a powerful symbol of the determination and strength of the people who have forged it's path.

Nga Hau E Wha Marae reflects its core value of OUR PEOPLE, OUR CULTURE, OUR PRIDE and is a place we can all call home.

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