Te Awaawa O Tirau

This mural is the work of the 2016 Year 10 Art class under the direction of Linda Close, Head of Faculty of The Arts, Cromwell College. The class formulated the ideas and images, which contributed to the layout and painted areas of the mural.

The kaupapa (theme) of this mural shows the importance of food growing and gathering in this unique area, from the past to the present.

Maori gathered kai (food) from this rohe (area), travelling by foot and mokihi (raft) on their way to collect pounamu. After the exploration of this area, Pākehā discovered gold, then stayed on to farm high country sheep. Horticulture and viticulture now feature in this landscape. The production of food remains a vital aspect of this area.