Tragic Bus Accident

Te Ao Hou, March 1963, Page 22

Tragic Bus Accident Just as ‘Te Ao Hou’ was going to press, word came of the tragic bus accident in which fifteen Maoris, returning from the Waitangi celebrations, lost their lives, and twenty more were injured. It was the worst road accident in New Zealand history. Ten of the victims came from Reweti Pa, near Helensville; four were from the Onehunga district, and one was from Napier. Their names are: Mr Peter Tapene, aged about 61, of Onehunga; Mr Eddie Porter (Eriata Uruamo), aged 78, of Reweti; Mrs Molly Povey, aged about 48, of Reweti; Mr Karaka (or Clark) Wiapo, aged 68, of Helensville; Mrs Miri Nathan, aged about 55, of Reweti; Mrs Emma Nielson, of Napier; Mrs Beryl Abraham, aged about 78, of Helensville; Mrs Colleen Margaret Sheffield, aged 41, South End, Helensville; Mrs Dolly Bidois, about 48, of Te Pua, Helensville; Mrs Leuia Kidwell, of Reweti, and her daughter, Miss Celia Kidwell, aged 17, of Reweti; Mr Ben Kingi, about 50, of Woodhill, Helensville; Mrs Maringi Kaa, Crawford Avenue, Mangere; the Rev. Ropata Pouaka, aged 63, of Onehunga; Mr Steve Nathan, aged 69, of Te Papapa. Mr Karaka (Clark) Wiapo, of Helensville, was an elder in the district. Mr Wiapo, a former New Zealand Maori Rugby representative, had been presented to the Queen at Waitangi the day before. Mrs Colleen M. Sheffield was the wife of Mr E. D. B. Sheffield, a farmer of South End, Helensville. She had just completed a history of the Helensville district to be published to coincide with the Helensville centennial celebrations this month. She contributed articles and poetry to ‘Te Ao Hou’ for many years; a long article by her, ‘Te Taou and the Sandhills’, appeared in our last September issue. Mr Peter Tapene, of Onehunga, was Chairman of the Onehunga-Mangere Maori Tribal Committee and a member of the National Council of Tribal Committees. He was also a co-chairman of the Maori Education Foundation in Onehunga, and last year he topped the poll in the Onehunga Borough Council election. Haere ra e nga Rangatira: Haere ki o koutou tupuna matua kua rupeke ki te po.