Unity in diversity: A school mural embracing its cultures and celebrating Matariki

04 Jul 2023

Together One Faith, One Family, One Community

Kia Tū Tahi, Hei Whakapono, Hei whānau, Hei Hapori Kotahi

Located at St Mary’s School in Blenheim, this collaborative mural was made by students and teachers as a celebration of their identity, belonging and unity – ‘Together One Faith, One Family, One Community’. 

The mural was made up of boards that represent a simple triangular kite shape is known as manu taratahi. Using an array of Resene paint colours, each board was designed by a different classroom to celebrate the diverse range of cultures within the school’s community.

“We are a Mercy school and so at the top of our manu taratahi kite there is the Mercy cross,” Barb Lormans says, a teacher at St Mary's School. “We live in Blenheim, Waiharakeke, the place of the flax, so there is woven flax and the koru beside the cross. 

“The kite reminds us of Matariki and the special significance this has in Aotearoa New Zealand, especially in 2022, the year we made the mural and when Matariki was first celebrated with a national holiday.

“For the boards across the frame, each class researched the cultures represented here at St Mary’s School and then designed and painted their section of the kite.”

What each room designed:

Room 1: (at the top) shows the land

Room 2: Latin, America, Germany, Britain, Ireland, Italy

Room 6: Samoa, NZ

Room 5: NZ Kiwiana

Room 4: India, Sri Lanka, NZ

Room 3: Tonga, NZ

Room 9: Niue, Cook Islands, NZ

Room 8: Asia, Fiji, Kiribati, NZ

Room 1: Philippines, Vietnam, Africa, NZ

Room 2: Māori - tangata whenua

“Everyone in the school was involved in this project,” Barb says. “Teachers supported students to research, plan, design and then paint their class boards with the images they thought best represented their assigned cultures. We are very fortunate to have a diverse and vibrant multicultural community, so this project was a great way to celebrate this.

“We used many Resene paints but as you can see there is a wonderful array of colours, too numerous to mention by name! The Resene testpot size was perfect for this and made it easy for little hands to manage the painting jobs.”

Published: 04 Jul 2023