Makereti and the Royal Tour

Makereti and the Royal Tour

Makereti began working as a guide at the Whakarewarewa thermal village in Rotorua in the early 1890s.

At the time, Rotorua was recovering from the 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption and the destruction of the Pink and White Terraces, which had been the region's major tourist drawcard. The Whakarewarewa thermal village replaced the Terraces as Rotorua's biggest attraction.

More about the Mt Tarawera eruption

Makereti quickly earned a glowing reputation as a guide. In 1901 she was chosen, with Sophia Hinerangi, to guide the Duke and Duchess of York during their visit to the village. Images of the photogenic 27-year-old were transmitted around the world, and Makereti became an international media celebrity.

Maggie developed a superb ability to impart the wonders of Whakarewarewa to the visitor. Her beauty, her knowledge of Māori culture, her charm and wit made her one of the most sought-after women of the times. It was Maggie who played host to some of the world’s greatest people of those early years.

Don Stafford, The romantic past of Rotorua, Wellington: A.H. & A.W. Reed, 1977, p. 55.

Permission of the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa must be obtained before any reuse of this image.

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