Huramua is the central point for our family.
Our place of belonging. Our turanga wae wae.
As a central part of so much that we do as a family here is how our recent Marae has become our home.
Our story starts with Joseph Carroll, born in Sydney from Irish descent. He moved to New Zealand and became Wairoa’s first sheep farmer. He married Tapuke a Ngati Kahungunu wahine of nobility. With this union ship, Joseph also acquired over 2,200 acres of land from Ngati Kahunngunu. Huramua Station being part of this. Together they had 8 children including James Carroll (Born:20Aug1857/ Death1926 - First Maori Minister of Native Affairs & Acting Prime Minister) and Thomas Carroll.
Thomas Carroll (Born1851-Mahia/Death 1905) then went on to marry Mako Kaimoana (Born ~1849/ Death 21May 1934) on the 13th November 1903. Together they had three children.
On the 24th August 1890 Alfred Thomas Carroll was born. Who at a young age, became known as Turi Carroll after an ancestor, Turiparera. The land at Huramua was passed from generation to generation and soon to be etched into Wairoa and New Zealand history at the hands of James and Turi Carroll.
In 1909 four years after the death of his father Turi Carroll was sent by his Uncle James Carroll to The Canterbury Agricultural College to study Agriculture & Animal Husbandry. He graduated in 1911. On his return he applied for the Maori Contingent and was declined due to loss of sight in his left eye. In 1917 he travelled with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and became a Sergeant. He was wounded just before the War ended and came home to Huramua in 1919. On the 4th March 1922 he married Parehuia Shrimpton and had a daughter Mako.
The Maori Native Affairs Department negotiated the purchase of 1,700 acres of land from Turi Carroll. The land was to be used for a training facility for the 
returned service men and the remainder of the land then divided into 14 separate farms of around 75 acres, including a brand new 3 bedroom homestead each.
The centre was built as a memorial for the bravery and courage of the men throughout the Wairoa District. The ‘Camp’ as it was known, was built similar to Army Barracks for returned men with little work skills and experience. The Camp trained around 80 men in Agricultural and Farming. Those who completed their courses then got to put their names into a ballot. The prize from this ballot was to gain one of these 14 farms.
After the new farmers were settled and Huramua became a thriving community it was deemed that a community centre was needed. With substantial fund raising and volunteer work, (enough to gain a subsidy from the government) for the purchase of several buildings from the original camp. Huramua Marae was built by voluntary labor to reduce overhead costs for the Hall. To this day you can still see the original mess hall from the Camp which is still used to this date at Huramua Marae.
