Friday April 3 was a red-letter day for the Waikato Diocesan School for Girls – that was the evening when they formally opened their new $5 million venue for performing arts education.

The state-of-the-art Hamilton building has been tailor-made to meet the needs of students of drama, media studies and music; and it’ll be a boon too, for girls doing extra-curricular dance and kapa haka.

And the opening was made triply memorable by the Tainui royal family, which agreed to the new building being named The Piki Mahuta Centre, in honour of the school’s most distinguished old girl. Piki, who was a student at Dio from 1945 to 1950, later reigned for 40 years as the Maori queen, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu.

The Piki Mahuta Centre is the first building to be named for the Maori queen since her death in 2006 – and it will be the only one ever to carry the name by which she was known as a girl.

Archbishop David Moxon, who had known Te Arikinui for many years, reminded the gathered guests of the aroha the country had for her; how the nation had come to a standstill when she passed away.

He told them about her unbroken relationship with the school – from her days as the quiet, but well-loved Piki (prefect and house captain in 1949) who formed friendships during her school years which she was to maintain throughout her life; to her years as the royal benefactor who kept the link between the school and Turangawaewae Marae and Tainui; who regularly attended school events and fundraisers; and who each year turned up at the school’s prizegiving to present the Piki Mahuta prize to the outstanding Maori student.

“We loved and respected her spirit,” says Archbishop David, “we loved and respected her hospitality, and we loved and respected her interest in the arts.”

The Tainui royal family’s continuing goodwill towards Dio wasn’t limited to the naming of the new centre – they also commissioned a significant sculpture by the prominent Maori artist Fred Graham, which hangs in a prominent place on the stair landing.

This sculpture, which has a large tukutuku panel as a backdrop, shows a small bird set against a huia feather (the traditional sign of an ariki, or chief) – with five metal birds above it, arcing towards a round metallic sun. In one reading of the piece, Piki is that small bird, who is destined for greatness, with the five previous Maori kings soaring above her.

In another reading, Piki is the small bird – and Dio is the place where girls can learn to fly and become fully formed.

Archbishop David was followed to the lectern by Ngarahu Katene, Te Pihopa o Te Manawa o te Wheke, who recited a moving karakia of blessing on the formal opening. Other speakers included Vicky McLennan, the school principal; and Nanaia Mahuta, the MP for Hauraki-Waikato who is Dame Te Ata’s niece.