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Housing New Zealand Corporation Tomokanga

CARVING DEPICTS LOCAL DISPUTE OVER EELS

Artist: Rangi Skipper

Corner Devon Street East and Gover Street, New Plymouth.

Tomokanga means "entranceway", and this totara carving surrounds the entranceway to the Housing New Zealand Corporation's office.

Originally carved in 1991 for the corporation when its building was on Molesworth Street next to Petrocorp, on the site of the former Waimana Pa, the tomokanga refers to a pre-European dispute between the people of Waimana Pa and Pukeariki Pa over the catching of a particular species of eel from Huatoki Stream.

The dispute ended only when Te Potaka from Nga Puki Tu Rua Pa reminded both sides that they were related to each other, and fighting between relatives was pointless.