2 Feb 2010

Vandalism at Gisborne marae

5:16 pm on 2 February 2010

A man who grew up on Te Poho o Rawiri says he is devastated by vandalism at the Gisborne marae.

Windows were broken, ponga fences smashed and graffiti scrawled on external walls.

In other incidents nearby, Waatea News reports vandals smashed a plaque on a statue on Titirangi Hill commemorating Captain Cook and a monument halfway down the hill for freezing workers killed in World War 1.

Jim Perry, whose family donated the land for the marae, says the whole community wants the perpetrators found and punished.

Ngati Oneone marae is one of the largest in the country.