TŌTARA TŪKAHA - The fearless Tōtara 

With a heartwood that was durable for making canoes, carvings, tools, weapons and constructing buildings, tōtara was a prized resource for iwi Māori in the South Island. The same properties made it a valuable timber to the first European settlers for house and wharf piles, and for those parts of buildings requiring durable members. 

Tōtara is classified as a rākau rangatira, a chiefly tree and is one of the giants amongst the majestic forest canopy. A mature Tōtara can reach up to 30 metres and can live for several hundred years. Traditionally the bark, fruit and seeds of the tōtara were used for rongoā (medicine) and food for the many insects and native birds. such as Kereru (Native Pigeon), Tui, and Kakariki (Native Parrot).

Tōtara were a common sight in the podocarp lowland forests which populated the Canterbury Plains when our ancestors first settled here.

There are a number of proverbs associated with the Tōtara, each referencing the status of the tree as a rangatira (chief), its strength and its durability. Two examples follow. 

For Yaldhurst School, the name is given to inspire the students to always strive for the traits of the tōtara, those of leadership, courage and service to others.

Kua hinga te Tōtara i Te Waonui a Tāne. 

A Tōtara has fallen in the great forest of Tāne. Meaning: A great chief has fallen. 

Ruia taitea. kia tū ko taikaka anake. 

Shake off the sapwood and let the hard heartwood stand. 

We have our own small Tōtara tree planted in our grounds which we are watching grow.