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The Hinemihi Project: Celebrating and building on shared histories

Māori meeting house, known as Hinemihi, at Clandon Park, Surrey — Hinemihi o te Ao Tawhito, the Māori meeting house at Clandon Park| Surrey | © National Trust Images/Nick Meers

The Hinemihi Project is a proposed cultural exchange between Ngāti Hinemihi, a Māori tribe from Aotearoa (New Zealand), and the National Trust, the custodians of Hinemihi at Clandon Park. Our ambition is to return Hinemihi to Ngāti Hinemihi. In return, Ngāti Hinemihi would gift a new body of carvings. These carvings would continue the story of a Māori meeting house at Clandon and enrich its living history for future generations.

Hinemihi o te Ao Tawhito (Hinemihi of the Old World) is a rare 19th century Māori wharenui (meeting house) who has stood at Clandon Park for over 130 years. She has become a much-loved place of gathering, cultural identity and connection for Māori, Pasifika and local communities in the UK.

Our project proposes to deepen Clandon's relationship with these communities by:

returning Hinemihi’s whakairo (carvings) to Ngāti Hinemihi in Aotearoa, in exchange for new whakairo created by them
reconstructing the timber-framed structure of the meeting house at Clandon, including improving facilities and access
mounting the new whakairo onto the reconstructed structure, creating a unique new wharenui at Clandon with a new name, that will celebrate and serve the UK's Māori and Pasifika communities

Using te reo Māori (the Māori language): key words and phrases

2026

Latest update

Sharing our proposals

Meet Hinemihi

Hinemihi is the 16th-century ancestress of Ngāti Hinemihi (the people of Hinemihi) a Māori hapū (sub-tribe). In 1880, they built a new wharenui, named after Hinemihi and carrying her spirit, at Te Wairoa, Aotearoa.

In 1886, the nearby Mount Tarawera volcano erupted. Many people lost their lives, and the village of Te Wairoa was abandoned. Around 50 people survived by taking shelter inside Hinemihi during the eruption. This created a unique bond between her and their descendants.

In 1892, William Hillier, 4th Earl of Onslow and outgoing Governor of New Zealand, purchased Hinemihi’s whakairo and shipped them back with him to his home in England, Clandon Park.

Here, he mounted them on a newly constructed timber-framed structure, recreating Hinemihi as a wharenui. For him, she was a reminder and symbol of the country and Māori communities with who he and his family had built and maintained strong relationships.

As Hinemihi’s whakairo carry her spirit and represent her body, they are known as ‘Hinemihi’ or 'she/her' and she is respected as a living being.

Find out more about Hinemihi's fascinating history

Why the exchange matters

It preserves Hinemihi’s whakairo. Many of Hinemihi’s whakairo are in a fragile condition and will continue to deteriorate if kept exposed to the weather. Removing the carvings from the 20th-century timber-framed structure helps protect and care for them in the long term.

It brings Hinemihi home. For many years, having Hinemihi so far away, on the other side of the world, has been a source of pain and sadness for Ngāti Hinemihi. Returning Hinemihi’s whakairo to them will help bring healing and mean she can be conserved and celebrated by people with the deepest cultural, spiritual and family connection to her, in the place where she was created and belongs.

It celebrates and builds on shared histories. Ngāti Hinemihi’s creation and gift of new carvings will create something both entirely new – a meeting house conceived to serve and celebrate Maori and Pasifika communities in the UK – and something grounded in the shared histories of Hinemihi, William Hillier Onslow and Clandon Park.

It builds understanding across generations and cultures. Returning Hinemihi and welcoming new whakairo will create many new opportunities for people in Aotearoa and the UK to share stories, deepen cultural understanding and strengthen relationships for years to come.

Hinemihi has always been a part of my life. I was born into this space, learning that she's in a far distant place, a far distant land.

A quote by

A large group of smiling people gathered in rows on the grass in front of a Maori meeting house surrounded by trees — The Hinemihi partners visiting Hinemihi | Clandon Park, Surrey | © National Trust Images

The partners

The project is being delivered by a three-way cultural partnership.

Ngā Kohinga Whakairo o Hinemihi (The Carvings of Hinemihi): A charitable trust based in Aotearoa working on behalf of Ngāti Hinemihi for the return of Hinemihi in exchange for new whakairo.
Te Maru o Hinemihi (In the Embrace of Hinemihi): A UK-based community interest company with multinational members who are united in representing the interests of Hinemihi and the wharenui at Clandon.
National Trust: Europe’s largest conservation charity. As Hinemihi’s legal custodian, the National Trust shares in the care and love of Hinemihi with its partners and is committed to celebrating and supporting the life of a working Māori wharenui at Clandon.

The partnership is actively supported by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.

Building on the legacy of William Hillier Onslow, 4th Earl of Onslow

As Governor of New Zealand from 1889 to 1892, William Hillier Onslow travelled around the country and met many Māori iwi (tribes). He highly valued these friendships and stayed in contact with many of the people he met. One of his sons, who was born in New Zealand, was given the Māori name Huia.

The Earl wanted to bring a wharenui to Clandon Park because he admired Māori culture and wanted to celebrate the connections he had made in Aotearoa. Hinemihi became a place where taonga (treasured gifts) from Māori iwi could be displayed. People from the local area, as well as visitors from Aotearoa, were invited to visit and learn more about Māori culture.

Everyone involved in this project recognises that the fourth earl bought and cared for Hinemihi with positive intentions. This project is part of that legacy and the the friendships and connections that have grown from it.

What is a Māori wharenui?

Wharenui are traditional Māori meeting houses, often named after a community's respected tīpuna (ancestor) and including whakairo. The wharenui as a whole represents the body of the tīpuna and each whakairo is a separate part of the body.

As well as serving many practical purposes, such as hosting meetings, ceremonies and guest visits, wharenui provide the community with spiritual strength and connections to one another and the past.

The Grade II listed meeting house at Clandon is made of two parts: the historic whakairo and the thatched, timber-framed structure.

Find out more about wharenui

Hinemihi's whakairo

Creating whakairo is a Māori art form. Through the act of carving, the Māori carver imbues the whakairo with wairua (spirit) and whakapapa (genealogy).

Together, Hinemihi’s whakairo form her crouching body, with honoured tūpuna (ancestors) and Kataore, her guardian lizard, at her side.

Te reo Māori (the Māori language) was spoken long before it became a written language. Hinemihi’s whakairo tell the stories of Ngāti Hinemihi’s tūpuna. They are a unique and valuable record of Ngāti Hinemihi's history, telling the story of the tribe and its tūpuna.

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A Maori whakairo (carving) of a face painted red from the wharenui (meeting house) Hinemihi — The whakairo (carving) representing Hinemihi | Clandon Park, Surrey | © National Trust Images / Matthew Hollow Photography

Hinemihi

Detail of the whakairo (carving) representing Hinemihi (shown horizontally rather than vertically). She is on the pane whakairo (backbone carving), on the top of the roof inside the māhau (porch). Hinemihi looks down from her crouched position to welcome visitors to her wharenui (meeting house).

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A Maori carving (whakairo) of a face painted red — Detail of the tekoteko whakairo (head carving) on the Hinemihi Māori wharenui (meeting house) | Clandon Park, Surrey | © National Trust Images / Matthew Hollow Photography

Tekoteko

The tekoteko whakairo (carving), the most prestigious part of the wharenui (meeting house), is the head of Hinemihi's crouching body. Sitting at the highest point above the entrance to the wharenui, the tā moko (facial tatoos) show that the tekoteko represents one of Hinemihi's male tūpuna (ancestors). The bowler hat subtly references the growing number of European tourists visiting Te Wairoa and the Pink and White Terraces when Hinemihi was created. A wharenui tūpuna (meeting house ancestor) was acknowledged by the local tribe as their eponymous ancestor who was also filled with other tūpuna embodied through the art forms of carving, weaving and painting.

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A Māori whakairo (carving) of a face painted red and black from the wharenui (meeting house) Hinemihi — Detail of the upoko whakairo (face carving) on the Hinemihi Māori wharenui (meeting house) | Clandon Park, Surrey | © National Trust Images / Matthew Hollow Photography

Upoko

Hinemihi's upoko (face) sits at the bottom of the tekoteko whakairo (head carving). Like the tekoteko above, the tā moko (facial tatoos) show that the upoko represents one of Hinemihi's male tūpuna (ancestors) or one of the male characters in a tribal story.

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A Māori whakairo (carving) painted red with white and black painted patterns from the wharenui (meeting house) Hinemihi — Detail of the maihi whakairo (arms carving) on the Hinemihi Māori wharenui (meeting house) | Clandon Park, Surrey | © National Trust Images / Matthew Hollow Photography

Maihi

Sitting beneath the tekoteko and upoko, the maihi whakairo (arm carvings) run along the eaves on either side of the roof. Painted in black and white and trimmed with detailed carving, they represent Hinemihi's open arms welcoming visitors into the wharenui (meeting house).

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A Māori whakairo (carving) of a face painted red from the wharenui (meeting house) Hinemihi — Detail of the amo whakairo (leg carving) on the Hinemihi Māori wharenui (meeting house) | Clandon Park, Surrey | © National Trust Images / Matthew Hollow Photography

Amo

The amo whakairo (upright support carvings) sit in an upright position from between the maihi (arms) and raparapa (fingers) down to the ground, reflecting that Hinemihi's body is in a crouching position. In this detail (shown horizontally rather than vertically), we see the legs and feet of an ancestral figure stood upon the head of an animal, which could represent a tribal story.

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A Maori whakairo (carving) of a lizard alongside the word Kataore from the wharenui (meeting house) Hinemihi — Detail of Kataore on a whakairo (carving) in the Hinemihi Māori wharenui (meeting house) | Clandon Park, Surrey | © National Trust Images / Matthew Hollow Photography

Kataore

The special creature represented in this whakairo (carving) is Kataore, Hinemihi's treasured companion and pet, said to be a powerful creature and guardian. Embodying guardianship, protection and spiritual power, Kataore is found on the poutokomanawa whakairo (heart carving), the upright post that sits inside the wharenui (meeting house) connecting the roof to the floor.

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Over generations, Hinemihi has become part of the lives of Māori and Pasifika communities in the UK, as well as many others who have cared for her. The new wharenui will continue to be a place of gathering, learning, ceremony, exchange and relationship.

A quote by

The new whakairo

Creating whakairo is a highly valued skill in Māori culture, passed down from one generation to the next.

The new carvings for Clandon will be created by descendants of one of Hinemihi's original master carvers and the chief who commissioned her. In this way, they can be seen as a new generation of carvings that continue Hinemihi's story.

They are being carefully designed for a wharenui that will welcome and serve Māori, Pasifika and British communities at Clandon.

The carvings will follow a traditional style, similar to Hinemihi's. They will tell stories and represent people, values and ideas inspired by Hinemihi and by the many lives she has touched in Aotearoa and the UK.

Creating the new whakairo

A new wharenui at Clandon

A key aim of the project is to keep a working Māori wharenui at Clandon and make sure it continues to thrive.

To do this, we propose to reconstruct the timber structure that currently supports Hinemihi's carvings. Much of the existing material will be kept and reused, including rare tōtara wood. This will help preserve the history of the building while supporting its future use.

This approach consciously respects its Grade II listing.

We'll improve access by restoring a lost historic path that once linked the wharenui to the mansion house.

We'll also greatly improve the useability of the wharenui, by providing:

flooring throughout, replacing an earth floor
electrical power and lighting
heating and insulation
Wi-Fi
running water, an important part of Māori rituals
wheelchair and level access

When the new whakairo are attached to the reconstructed timber structure, the building will become a new wharenui.

A house for everyone

Wharenui are usually created by Māori communities for their own people. They tell the stories, history and values of the community that built them.

The new wharenui at Clandon will be different. It will be the first wharenui created by a Māori community as a gift for another community, celebrating the stories and connections they share.

The creation and gift of the new wharenui is a unique act of generosity and friendship. It will also be the only working Māori meeting house in the UK and the wider Northern Hemisphere outside a museum.

The wharenui will be a sacred place for Māori people. It will also help share Māori and wider Pasifika cultures with people across the UK. Most importantly, it will help strengthen the connections between Māori and British communities, with Clandon Park at its heart.

Our ambition is for the new wharenui to be deeply rooted in Māoritanga (Māori culture, values and traditions) while being welcoming to everyone. This idea is reflected in possible names for the house, including He Whare mō te Katoa (A House for Everyone) and Te Hono (The Connection).

Hinemihi: Our Past, Present and Future

Hinemihi’s whanau share what she means to them, how they feel about the exchange of whakairo, and the importance of a Māori meeting house at Clandon.

This video is hosted by YouTube

Kōrero (conversations): shaping the project

Our proposals have been shaped through many years of kōrero with Māori communities in Aotearoa and the UK, heritage specialists, statutory organisations and local communities.

As we go through the planning and listed building consent application process, there will also be the opportunity for you to share your thoughts.

When will the exchange happen?

We’re working towards Hinemihi’s return home taking place in 2027, assuming that all the necessary statutory permissions are in place. The reconstruction of the timber-framed structure and the creation of the new wharenui at Clandon would follow in 2028.

The Hinemihi Project: the Trust's diary

2016

Protecting Hinemihi's whakairo

After spending nearly 120 years in the British outdoor environment, a substantial part of Hinemihi's whakairo (carvings) are in a fragile physical condition. To protect them from further deterioration, the whakairo are temporarily removed from the timber-framed structure of the wharenui (meeting house).

The temporary removal is carried out by our conservators working closely with our Ngāti Hinemihi partners to ensure that Māori protocols are followed, and with listed building consent from Guildford Borough Council.

Hinemihi is now asleep in an environmentally-controlled conservation store.

FAQs

The Hinemihi Exchnage Project is delivering a proposed cultural exchange between the National Trust in the United Kingdom and the Māori hapū (sub-tribe) Ngāti Hinemihi in Aotearoa (New Zealand).

The proposed exchange will permanently remove Hinemihi’s whakairo (carvings) from the Māori wharenui (meeting house) at Clandon Park so she can be returned to her hapū (subtribe) in Aotearoa (New Zealand). In return, Ngāti Hinemihi carvers are creating new whakairo, a gift to the UK from the Māori community in Aotearoa.

The new whakairo will be mounted onto a renewed timber-framed structure, creating a new wharenui with a new name at Clandon, continuing the presence of a working wharenui in the UK.
Yes. Hinemihi’s whakairo (carvings) were bought from Mika Āporo, son of the chief of the Ngāti Hinemihi hapū (subtribe) by William Hillier, 4th Earl of Onslow in 1892.

The Hinemihi Project is not based on the idea that Hinemihi's carvings were acquired unfairly by the fourth earl. It is also not about correcting a historic wrong. Instead, it explores and celebrates the shared history of Hinemihi and the relationships that have grown from it over time.
It brings Hinemihi home. Her whakairo (carvings) would return to Ngāti Hinemihi, where she can be cared for by the people with the deepest connection to her.

It supports healing and renewal. Reuniting Ngāti Hinemihi with their ancestral whakairo supports healing and strengthens community connections, while new whakairo would create a new wharenui (meeting house) at Clandon Park.

It builds cultural understanding. The exchange would create new opportunities for people in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and the UK to share stories, strengthen relationships and learn from one another.
The project is being delivered by a cultural partnership between Ngā Kohinga Whakairo o Hinemihi, a charitable trust working on behalf of Ngāti Hinemihi; Te Maru o Hinemihi, a UK-based community group representing the interests of Hinemihi and the wharenui (meeting house) at Clandon Park; and the National Trust, Hinemihi's legal custodian. The partnership is supported by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, who would legally receive Hinemihi's whakairo.
Together, the whakairo (carvings) represent the whole and indivisible body of Hinemihi, the 16th-century ancestress of the Ngāti Hinemihi hapū (sub-tribe). They are imbued with her spirit and are therefore a living being.

Techniques for conserving objects typically used in the UK, such as replacing damaged parts to preserve as much of the historic fabric as possible or creating replicas, are not culturally appropriate for the care of Hinemihi. Returning Hinemihi’s whakairo to Ngāti Hinemihi means she can be cared for by the people with the deepest cultural, spiritual and family connection to her, where decisions about her future care are made in a culturally appropriate context.
Rebuilding the timber-framed structure will address existing issues with water damage and timber decay, while helping to prevent future problems. The new building will have raised foundations, improved insulation, ventilation and weatherproofing, making it easier to maintain and protect for the future. It will also include modern facilities such as lighting, heating, water and improved wheelchair access, creating a more welcoming and usable space. Wherever possible, timber from the existing structure will be reused to maintain a physical connection to the previous wharenui (meeting house) and support sustainability.
Ngāti Hinemihi aspire to re-establish Hinemihi on her original site at Te Wairoa in Aotearoa (New Zealand) as a heritage attraction rather than a fully functioning wharenui (meeting house). This is considered the best option for her long-term care and conservation, while allowing future generations to share in the story of her journey from Aotearoa to England and back again. Future plans will be guided by the need to protect Hinemihi’s whakairo (carvings), some of which are very fragile, drawing on the expertise of Ngāti Hinemihi carvers supported by experts from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand.

The Hinemihi Project partners

Ngā Kohinga Whakairo o Hinemihi

Ngā Kohinga Whakairo o Hinemihi (Hinemihi of the Old World) is a charitable trust based in Aotearoa (New Zealand) working on behalf of Ngāti Hinemihi for the return of Hinemihi in exchange for new whakairo (carvings).

Te Maru o Hinemihi

Te Maru o Hinemihi (In the Embrace of Hinemihi) is a UK-based community interest company with multinational members who are united in representing the interests of Hinemihi and the wharenui (Māori meeting house) at Clandon.

Europe’s largest conservation charity. As Hinemihi’s legal custodian, the National Trust shares the care and love of Hinemihi with its partners and wants an ongoing life for the wharenui (Māori meeting house) at Clandon.

You might also be interested in

Meet Hinemihi

Discover the history of Hinemihi. Follow her journey from construction in New Zealand to the grounds of a stately home in Surrey.

Māori meeting house, known as Hinemihi, at Clandon Park, Surrey

Creating the new whakairo

Meet the Māori master carvers creating the new whakairo (carvings) for the wharenui (meeting house) at Clandon, and learn about the meaning behind the designs, which connect the many communities involved.

A row of wooden handled carving tools and a carved mask

Māori wharenui: a cultural and spiritual hub

Learn about traditional Māori meeting houses, from their practical uses to their deep spiritual and historical significance, as well as the meaning behind the different structural elements that make them up.

The interior of Te Rauru, a Māori wharenui (meeting house) lined with black-painted carvings interspersed with red, white and black woven panels

Te reo Māori: the Māori language

Te reo Māori (the Māori language) is a core part of Māori identity. Learn the meaning and pronunciation of the te reo Māori words and phrases you may find on our pages.

Two people with their foreheads pressed together in a Maori greeting

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