Speakers at the event were Mr Willie Swann, Mr Warahi Paki, the College Kaumatua, attending with his wife Linda, The Reverend Fred Holloway, iwi elder attending with his wife Marleen, Liston College students: Sebastyen Fuiava, Marco Abrogena and Vin Lai, Mr Houghton, Mr Dooley and Matua Ben Christie representing support for Mr Dooley from Sacred Heart College.

At the event the new Principal’s Korowai was presented to Mr Dooley:

Te Korowai.

At the centre of our ceremony was the presentation of the new Liston College Principal’s Korowai.

The Tangata Whenua must cloak out Tumuaki in our Tikanga, specifically Manaaki, Whanaunga and Aroha if all of us are to thrive together. The crimson represents the colour holy to Catholics and the school colour and has hints of the setting western sun over the forest and our Pohutukawa, the flower of the Advent season. Hope flows from our Korowai. The green underneath represents our ties to the great forest of Te Waonui-o-Tiriwa on whose flood plain Liston rests. The forest gives life to all.

This Korowai is handmade and dyed. It is the whakaaro me mahi of many, many hands. The feathers were inspired by the now protected, Kaka and Kakapo. The lining is pure New Zealand wool.

The taniko trim has also been woven from New Zealand wool. This design is the Manaia and Wairua (spirit) design. It shows the Manaia with poutama (stairway to heaven) above and below. The Manaia is sitting in the Wharenui (ancestral meeting house) symbolizing the bringing of iwi, whanau, and cultures together. It’s commissioning and blessing reflected the whakaaro me mahi of Board members, SLT Members, Teaching and Support Staff, Students, Parents Old Boys, Kaumatua, Clergy and Community.

Special thanks to all involved in the ceremony, including the many boys who came to school at dawn to set up.