Kauri statue of Mary and Jesus returning to Whakatane

The statue, carved in 1973 by Murray Ellis, a teacher from Whakatane High School, had been with the Josephite sisters in Auckland. But the sisters rediscovered the item during a reorganisation of their archives in Mission Bay this year and contacted Whakatane researcher Lindsay Riddick about it.

Mr Riddick, a Whakatane resident who has been researching the history of St Joseph’s School and the convent, was surprised to receive an email about the discovery.

“I was so taken aback to hear about the statue – we had no idea it even existed,” Mr Riddick said. He collected the statue from Auckland.

St Joseph’s School in Kopeopeo in Whakatane opened in 1933, and an old homestead dating back to 1889 was converted into a convent. The villa, made of kauri, had previously been transported from Auckland to Whakatane by scow (barge).

By the 1960s, the old convent was considered too costly to refit and retain, so new brick accommodation was built for the sisters in 1973, with the villa demolished. A section of an original verandah post from the villa was preserved and the statue was carved from the wood.

Mr Riddick said “we are now looking at having a custom case carved so it will have a fitting home in the church”.

The statue, considered to be an important part of the region’s history, will be officially welcomed back to Whakatane soon.

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Eastern Bay App (By Troy Baker/The Beacon)