Kia Ora
Anglican Rev Hohaia NGAHIWI died at Hukanui, Waikato on September 13th 1894 and was interred at Taupiri on Saturday the fifteenth.
Hohaia was one of the early graduates, of the Rev Morgan’s CMS Otawhao Mission School [Te Awamutu], rising to become it’s School Principal when in 1863 the Mission staff had to vacate due the Maori uprising. Hohaia and his family stayed on for a year, as caretaker and protector of the Mission facilities.
In 1864 the Crown leased the facilities for a garrison, and the Rev NGAHIWI relocated to Hopuhopu and joined the faculty at the Taupiri CMS Mission.
His pastoral care area included the Maori community at Hukanui, where he was later to settle. He became a very respected elder, and in his later years was a secretary to King Tawhiao, who died a few weeks before Hohaia, on August 26th, 1894.
In fact, just six months earlier, Hukanui could be said to have been the first Turangawaewae [a place to stand]. Under Hohaia’s stewardship Hukanui had hosted Maori Affairs Minister & Premier, Richard SEDDON, when the Government of the day, came as a delegation to Hukanui, and not Hukanui to Wellington. A special dining hall was built for the visit.
All the major newspapers devoted large column inches to report on the visit, with the local Waikato Times devoting a page and a third to the trip. Such was the Hukanui occasion, that met for over five hours.
A Mr Reid and a Mr Day [sic DEY Borough Councillor ?] of Hamilton are reported as having photographed the trip, and the big meeting attended by several hundred Maori. Yet to find any surviving evidence of those photos that were taken.
My extensive research, and a large archive of press clippings I can make available to living descendants, however I don’t subscribe to social media, and have no subscription to any of the family tree registering sites.
The surnames of POURAU and of TAUTA have recently posted material on GENi re Hohaia but I have no way of making contact. If anyone can facilitate an introduction via the RootsChat PM service, I would be happy to share what I have.
Our Pioneer Heritage research is my hobby.
- Alan.
PS can supply more info about Pourau via PM as still alive.
