STACEY MORRISON

RADIO BROADCASTER, THE HITS

W hile she and her family live in Mt Albert, Māngere has become something of a second home for television and radio host Stacey Morrison and her whānau, particularly due to her husband, Scotty Morrison, working at Ngā Whare Waatea Marae as part of the Waatea news team. Māngere, Stacey says, is such an underrated part of the city and holds an important part of Aotearoa’s history, both in terms of Māori history and settler history as well. “It’s very varied – you’ve got Ihumātao there, Auckland international airport, and you’ve also got Villa Maria, a commercial area, and housing – a lot! .” It’s also got a strong community hub to it – partly due to the wide range of activities run out of Ngā Whare Waatea Marae, such as wānanga, kura but also events like Matariki – and due to the close proxmity to the harbour as well. “You can see people on the harbour, fishing or doing another activity, and you can see how it’s been a hub for so long. You can imagine the waka going in and out of it.” There’s also a vibrant arts scene, thanks to the work at Ngā Tohu o Uenuku (Māngere Arts Centre), which hosts a huge range of events and classes for the locals.