Over the years, it has undergone renovations, in harmony with the original style, which represents a unique synthesis of classical Māori and Edwardian architecture.

Ngāti Tamaoho hapū under the leadership of Princess Te Puea Hērangi began by clearing swampy land overgrown with scrub and blackberry vines, including an area that had been used recently as a rubbish dump in August 1921.

The link this marriage formed between the two tribal regions was highlighted by Sir Āpirana Ngata when Te Puea was debating a name for the house.

Ngata and his tribe, Ngāti Porou, had contributed thousands of pounds in funding by supporting performances by Te Puea's concert party when it travelled the East Coast region.

To commemorate this he asked that the meeting house be named after the East Coast ancestress to salute the ancient link and the modern day koha (gift) Ngāti Porou had provided.

A seven-sided tower in the corner represents the seven initial waka that, according to tradition, brought the Māori people to their new home of Aotearoa.

World leaders including Nelson Mandela,[4] Queen Elizabeth II and many of her children have paid courtesy visits to the Māori monarch and the people of the Kīngitanga.

Under the leadership of Te Puea strong relationships had been established with the Polynesian royal families of the Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga.