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Whare Ra was a far flung branch of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn which was established by one of its later chiefs, Dr. Robert William Felkin in New Zealand.
Felkin was the head of the Stella Matutina and created two orders in New Zealand, Whare Ra, which is Maori for house of the Sun and the Order of the Table Round. <p>
The order built a magnificent house in Havelock North which served as its headquarters and ritual base.
After Felkin's death, the Order continued under the control of his wife and daughters. During that time its members were key players in Havelock North society and at various points even had important roles in the local council.
Despite this, the order managed to remain secret until its closure in the late 1970s. At that time it was decided by the chiefs of the order to shut down the group, sell its temple and invest in a New Age centre in Taupo. Much to the regret of many esoteric historians they burnt all the groups regalia and teachings.
The group's existence came to light as a result of the work of Pat Zalewski who trained in the Golden Dawn system under one of its former chiefs Jack Taylor after it closed. <p>
The Order of the Table Round continues to operate in Havelock North.
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