PEOPLE AND PLACES

Te Ao Hou, March 1966, Page 26

PEOPLE AND PLACES In the photograph above, Kiri Te Kanawa sings Maori songs at a cocktail party which preceded the dinner at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Los Angeles, to celebrate the commencement of Air New Zealand's twice weekly flights from Auckland to Los Angeles. Her accompanist is Miss Barbara Connelly, who also accompanied Kiri during her recent Australian tour. Miss Connelly is also of part Maori descent. Among the special New Zealand guests present at the invitation of the airline was Sir Turi Carroll, chairman of the New Zealand Maori Council. Since her triumph in singing contests in Australia last year, Kiri Te Kanawa has had a most enthusiastic reception at concerts in Auckland, Gisborne, Hamilton and Wellington. She has been awarded a scholarship of £2,500 by the Queen Elizabeth Arts Council, and last February left New Zealand to further her studies overseas. Lieutenant Eru Ihaka Manuera (photo, right) of the 1st Ranger Squadron, New Zealand Special Air Service, was recently awarded the Military Cross for gallant and distinguished services in Sarawak. The award was announced by the Governor-General, Sir Bernard Fergusson. Lieutenant Manuera is aged 27 and is married with one child. He was born at Kaitaia and educated at Kaitaia College. He was com-

missioned in 1959 in the Territorial Force, 1st Battalion, Northland Regiment, and joined the Regular Force in 1962. The citation for Lieutenant Manuera's operational award of the Military Cross says that in one month, Lieutenant Manuera mounted two very successful patrols. The first provided useful information about the enemy, and the second resulted in the killing of six enemy soldiers and the wounding of three, with no New Zealand casualties. In the second engagement, his quick thinking, personal example, and forceful leadership not only saved the lives of the men under his command, but turned what could have been a dangerous situation into a successful action. Another young Maori soldier was recently honoured for his service in Sarawak. He is Corporal Niwa Kawha, also of the 1st Ranger Squadron, New Zealand Special Air Service, who last December was mentioned in Despatches for gallantry in Sarawak. Later, in the New Year Honours, it was announced that Corporal Kawha had also been awarded the British Empire Medal. Corporal Kawha, formerly of Opotiki and now of Auckland, joined the Regular Force in 1958. He served with the 2nd New Zealand Regiment in Malaya, and was promoted to corporal. He contracted a severe illness and was invalided home. After recovering in New Zealand, Corporal Kawha voluntarily relinquished his rank to join the S.A.S. in 1962 He regained his rank in the 1st Ranger Squadron. In the photograph below, Mr Jock McEwen, Secretary for Maori Affairs, teaches a patere of his own composition to members of three Wellington clubs practising for this year's Treaty of Waitangi ceremony at Waitangi. The three clubs, the Wellington Anglican Maori Club, the Ngati Poneke Association, and the Mawai-Hakona Maori Association, together with a local group, performed the

welcomes on the Waitangi marae on February 6. Mr Jock McEwen is president of the Mawai-Hakona Maori Association. Mr Koro Dewes (photo, left) has been appointed a lecturer in Maori at the Victoria University of Wellington. Since 1962 Mr Dewes has been a lecturer in Maori in the University Extension Department (previously known as Department of Adult Education) at the University of Auckland. He is the son of Mr Henry Dewes of Te Araroa, a well known farmer on the East Coast. After attending Wesley College in Auckland and Ardmore Teachers' College, Mr Dewes taught for several years at Tikitiki District High School and at St Stephen's School, at the same time finishing his B.A. degree, before becoming a tutor at the Adult Education Department at the University of Auckland. He is at present completing the final stages of his M.A. degree. Koro Dewes is married, with a young family. Mr N. F. Harre (photo. left) has been appointed officer for Maori education in the Department of Education. This position fell vacant some time ago through the death of the late Mr D. M. Jillett. As officer for Maori education with headquarters in Auckland, Mr Harre will be the Department of Education's senior officer dealing with primary, secondary, and higher education for Maoris. In this position he will maintain close liaison with Maori groups and organisations and with other Government departments and agencies (including the Maori Education Foundation) concerned with the welfare of the Maori people. In his previous position as senior inspector of Maori schools. Mr Harre was in charge of the Maori School Service. He had experience in a variety of teaching positions, including country schools in predominantly Maori districts, before entering the inspectorate. Mr Noel S. Whiley (photo, left) is one of the comparatively small number of Maoris who have qualified as engineers. Born in Otaki in 1936, he belongs to the Te Rauparaha line of Ngati Toa. He was educated at Horowhenua College, where he was head prefect, and studied for his engineering degree at Canterbury University, where he was for a time

Evening Post photo secretary of the university Maori club. In 1963 he received his B.E. degree in civil engineering and recently, after three more years of advanced study, he passed a further examination which entitled him to registration as an engineer. Mr Whiley is married, with two small sons. Previously on the staff of the Nelson City Engineer, he recently left with his family for Australia to join the engineering team working on the huge Snowy River Hydro-Electric Scheme. While in Nelson he was treasurer of the Whakatu Maori Committee. Last January about 60 young Maori people from isolated communities in different parts of the North Island arrived in Wellington to take part in a five-week course designed to introduce them to life and work in the city. In the photograph above, four of the youngsters taking part in the course arrive in Wellington. They are (from left) James Albert 16, of Putaruru, Margaret Muru 16, of Huntly, 17-year-old Tini Muru (no relation to Margaret), of Ngaruawahia, and Ernie Paerata 17, of Te Awamutu. Initiated by the Wellington Polytechnic, this ‘pre-employment’ scheme also has the full support of the Department of Maori Affairs. If successful, it is intended to repeat the courses in such cities as Auckland and Hamilton. The students, who lived in hostels, were given instruction in English, mathematics and civics. The emphasis was on matters of practical importance to them in their everyday lives, and on the privileges and obligations of citizenship. They visited many places of interest, including various places of employment, and were helped by vocational guidance officers to choose and find jobs.