POUKAWA SCHOOL LOGO

Our Logo depicts the sky, hills and lake.

Many years ago there were two chiefs who lived at opposite ends of Lake Poukawa. One was called Te Rangikawhiua, who was a paramount chief, and the other was his cousin Te Rangi-Hirawera, who was of a lesser important lineage. Te Rangi-Hirawera began to claim a portion of the lake as his and asked the paramount chief to meet with him to divide the lake between them. Te Rangikawhiu, as paramount chief, refused to even consider this proposal as the whole lake belonged to him.

Te Rangi-Hirawera went ahead with his claim anyway and went into the forest and cut down a long totara pole and drove it into the lake where the biggest and fattest eels were and left the lean or kawa eels for the paramount chief. This is how Lake Poukawa got it’s name.

Eventually Te Rangi- Hirawera was punished for his audacity by being driven off and finally killed.

Our logo expresses the story of Poukawa which means literally Pou (pole) and kawa (lean or tasteless).

The broad rolling lines of the hills, which surround Poukawa Valley, are contrasted by the narrow lines of the sky and the swirling lines of the lake itself.

A gap through the middle of the design depicts the Pou which divided the lake.