Te Puea Memorial Marae, Māori cultural center in Māngere Bridge, Auckland, New Zealand

Te Puea Memorial Marae is a community gathering space in Māngere Bridge with traditionally carved structures and meeting areas for local Māori communities. The complex includes accommodation facilities and areas for educational programs about Māori practices and cultural protocols.

The marae opened in 1965 as Auckland's first urban marae, marking a turning point for establishing Māori community spaces in the city. It was built on land set aside for the Māori community years earlier.

The marae serves as a center where traditional ceremonies like pōwhiri welcomes and tangihanga funeral services still take place today. These gatherings show how Māori customs remain active and meaningful within the urban community.

Visitors can arrange overnight stays at the accommodation areas and learn about proper etiquette and traditional practices during their visit. It is helpful to inquire beforehand about cultural guidelines to ensure respectful participation.

The whakairo carving completed in July 1965 was made in a Waikato Tainui style, and the marae carries the proverb te kei o te waka o Tainui, the stern of Tainui, as the northernmost marae of Waikato Tainui. Funds came partly from felling macrocarpa trees on the property and quarrying scoria from Māngere Mountain.