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Private George Taiaroa

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Kā Kōrero o Waikirikiri Selwyn Stories

Hōri Kerei Taiaroa

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TitleHōri Kerei Taiaroa DescriptionNgāi Tahu leader, politician, assessor.

Hōri Kerei Taiaroa belonged to the prominent Ngāi Tahu family of Taiaroa. He was born and grew up in Ōtākou on the Otago peninsula around the 1830s or early 1840s. His mother was Mawera of Ngāti Rangiwhakaputa and his father was Te Matenga Taiaroa of Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki.

Taiaroa was taught to read and write by Wesleyan missionaries. He was christened Hōri Kerei but was known to his elders as Huriwhenua. He married Tini Pana around the late 1850s or the early 1860s at Ōtākou. Her mother was of Ngāi Tuahuriri of Ngāi Tahu and her Scottish father was a farmer at Moeraki. Hori and Tini had six sons. In the late 1870s, he built a large two-storey house at Taumutu which he named 'Awhitu'. He moved his family, stock and other belongings to Taumutu from the marae at Ōtākou. He subsequently played an important role in development of the Taumutu district.

Hōri Kerei Taiaroa was elected to the House of Representatives for the Southern Māori district in 1878. He served two terms in office and left Parliament in 1884. A year later, he was called back to Parliament to serve on the Legislative Council as a life member. An outspoken yet pragmatic politician, he advanced Ngāi Tahu land claims against the Government but did not live to see a settlement outcome. Hon. H.K Taiaroa died at Wellington on 4 August 1905 and was buried in the churchyard at Ōtākou. You can see from the images that a large crowd gathered to honour this great man. He was survived by his wife, Tini, and four sons, Te One Wiwi, Te Oti Kerei, Riki Te Mairaki and Hoani Korako. Two sons, Matenga Kerei (Te Maateka) and Apa, had died before him.

Hapū/iwiNgāi Tahu

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