Mr Charles Davis

Te Ao Hou, November 1964, Page 62

Mr Charles Davis The death occurred last July at Te Kuiti of Mr Charles Richard Davis. Mr Davis belonged to the Ngati-Kinohaku sub-tribe of Maniapoto. He was widely known and respected as a leader of the people of his district. At the time of his death he was a member of the New Zealand Maori Council. He also served for many years as chairman of the Maniapoto tribal committee, and was a trustee of the Toka-nganui-a-noho Pa at Te Kuiti, taking a keen interest in its preservation. He served in the first world war with the Maori Battalion, and before returning to New Zealand he was for a period engaged in the building trade in Australia. This experience he put to good use later in building up a major building business in Te Kuiti. Among the many projects in which he took a leading part were the construction of the Tainui Memorial Meetinghouse at Kawhia, the Haurua

Maori King movement memorial at Hangatiki, and the recent restoration of the meeting-house Tokanganui-a-noho. He did much to further the objectives of the Maori Education Foundation in the Maniapoto area. He was the local representative of the Tainui Trust Board and was throughout his life a prominent supporter of the Maori King movement. He also took a very keen interest in the Maori Battalion Association. He had a wide knowledge of Maori history and whakapapa and was a devoted advocate of the the Arawa Trust Board. Mr Te Kiri is survived by his wife, three daughters and a son. retention by the people of their Maoritanga. Mr Davis is survived by his wife Edith and two children, John and Pat.