Our Logo
‘Kotahi te kohao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro ma, te miro pango, te miro whero’
There is only one eye to the needle through which the white, black and red threads must pass.
The reign of the first Maori King, Potatau Te Wherowhero, was destined to be brief. Great disappointment and sorrow followed him throughout his short reign. For many decades his people, Waikato/Tainui including my tribe/iwi Ngati Paoa of the Hauraki Gulf (Waiheke Island), were to suffer untold misery.
The new settlers had come to stay, cooped up on Tamaki isthmus, the Pakeha became discontented because of lack of employment and living space. The sight of Maori traders coming into the fast-growing town of Auckland laden with the produce from fertile lands, the accounts of the flourishing farmlands, added to their sense of frustration. It kindled feelings of envy and resentment. In their hunger for land the newcomers caused trouble with Maori.
Weighed down with the lawlessness and the new face that Pakeha showed in their contact with him as King, including the forked tongues of both the ambitious Pakeha and Maori, Potatau’s short time as King was a bewildering time for him.
He turned to seeking spiritual solace and the above proverb is one recorded which he shared with his son who became his successor. The former Maori Queen was his descendant.
Artists’ Vision:
Design work: Shayn Wills and Jan Ramp
This design is symbolic of the prophecy described. The centre of the drawing is the “eye of the needle”, the different coloured spirals are the cotton, and the containing circle is the symbol of united humanity, the world and the spirit.
It is also symbolic of the growth of children. Beginning with birth, and then spiralling outwards, gaining knowledge of themselves and others emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually to reach their greatest potential. The two smaller spirals are symbolic of the importance of individuality.
The gift of this logo was given to our school from the hearts of two Waiheke Primary School fathers.