MR. KINGI TAHIWI DIES ON EVE OF RETIREMENT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22825, 21 December 1948, Page 8

MR. KINGI TAHIWI DIES ON EVE OF RETIREMENT

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 21. The death occurred at Wellington lasi night of Mr Kingi te Ahoaho Rawiri Tahiwi 0.8. E., one of the best known Maori leaders of the Dominion. He was to have retired from the Maori Affair? Department, in which he had been employed since 1915, at the end of the month. He was the chairman of the executive of the Ngati-Poneke Maori Association and also of both the Poneke tribal and executive committees Born at Otaki in 1883. he was a son of the late Mr. Rawiri Rota Tahiwi of Ngati-Ruakawa and through his mother was related to the Ngati-Whakaue section of Te Arawa. He was educated at Otaki and Te Aute college, where he was later an assistant master. He served for a period as a clerk with a legal firm in Otaki and in 1915 joined the Native Department as clerk and interpreter to the Waikato-Mania-poto Native Land Court. He also worked in the same capacity in the Gisborne and Wanganui districts. In 1927 he was appointed as translator at the head office, Wellington In 1926 Mr. Tahiwi became the secretary of the Maori Rugby Advisory Board and from 1927 till the time of his death was the board's representative on the executive of the New Zealand Rugby Union. He was also a former secretary of the New Zealand Maori Lawn Tennis Association and took an administrative interest in cricket, hockey and athletics. Mr Tahiwi is survived by his widow.