A new chapter begins

Koi Tū marked our first day in our new home at 48 Emily Place with a karakia whakawātea (dawn blessing) led by Tom Irvine and Robbie Paora of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. 

The karakia and speeches clear the way for new beginnings. It was a special moment for our trustees and the wider Koi Tū whanau to reflect and acknowledge manawhenua. 

Hema Sridhar gave our mihi, acknowledging our new landlord James Kirkpatrick, and his wonderful team including Sophie Tyrrell and Charlotte Nevill. Sir Peter Gluckman reflected on our special partnership with the iwi. In particular, our name, Koi Tū, was gifted by iwi Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei when we began in 2020. Koi is the sharp end of an arrow and as such we aim to get to the heart of complex long-term issues challenging our future. Koi means to be bright and clever. Tū is to stand, to set in place and implies resilience. 

Moving to our new premises is a tangible step in our new journey, following Koi Tū spinning out of the University of Auckland on 1 April this year, following five successful years of incubation.

Sir Peter says: “This move symbolises our evolution as a boundary organisation and our continued commitment to tackling the complex challenges that lie ahead.”