Hagley teacher Aimee Mahuta is leading a project to develop a mural weaving new strands into the story of Hagley, Te Puna Wai o Waipapa.

The mural will be a striking art work running the length of the whānau and will be painted during November and December.

Aimee describes the mural as honouring the history of Te Puna Wai o Waipapa [which means ‘the water spring of the Waipapa area’], the name gifted by Ngāi Tahu to Hagley. In past times, Māori came to gather food and water from the land in this area.

The design depicts a representation of the struggle of those living from the land as hunter/gatherers, collecting what they needed to survive and sustain themselves. The right end of the mural shows what the people [represented by the figure on the left] are struggling against. Things do not come easily. They are shown as persevering, fighting for what they believe in. The taniwha represents what the people want to tame. Water is represented too, symbolising the fresh water springs on Hagley land.

Aimee and her team want to bring forward that narrative behind our Māori name and make a link to Hagley today. In many respects, Hagley’s modern role is similar. Just as people came to this place in early times seeking food and water to sustain themselves, people in our region today come here to be sustained by what Hagley offers now as a regional hub of learning. However, just like survival was hard then, learning can be a struggle and a challenge but one that is worth pursuing.

Our values fronting our whānau

The front of the whānau facing Stewart street will also feature four panels representing our four values, framed by the tuakana taina fern. Our values are symbolised by this fern: the tuakana (the older koru fern) shelters the taina (the younger koru) as it grows and unfurls. Our values [trust, respect, integrity, personal responsibility] grow within this tuakana-taina relationship.

Aimee sees our values as being at the forefront of how we behave at Hagley, so they should be at the front of the place where we welcome manuhiri. The four figures depicted in the panels are our guardians. Their placement holds significance: tika [integrity] is on the inside, as it comes from our core. Mana [respect] is also on the inside because it is from inside a person, ingrained in them and coming out in what they do. Tika and mana are protected on the outside by [whakawhirinaki] trust and [whakamarumaru] responsibility.