Mr. P. G. McIntosh

Te Ao Hou, September 1966, Page 3

Mr. P. G. McIntosh Mr. P. G. McIntosh, Tama te Kapua, the pakeha rangatira of the Tohourangi people, died in the Tauranga Hospital on 16 June, 1966, aged 89. One of the few white people who could claim the distinction of being a Maori chief, Mr McIntosh was associated with Maoris all his life and was in charge of several Maori army units during both world wars, earning their admiration and respect. He had links with Rotorua, Opotiki and Tauranga. He was given the name of Tama te Kapua—son from above the clouds—when he was installed as a rangatira by the late Mr Tai Mitchell in Rotorua in 1940. Born in Wellington in 1877, Mr McIntosh was the grandson of the first Scottish settlers in New Zealand, who arrived on the Duchess of Argyle in 1842. His family moved first to North Auckland and then to Auckland where, as a message

boy, Mr McIntosh saw Te Kooti. “He looked a venerable old gentleman, and had a bodyguard of four,” Mr McIntosh later recalled. Mr McIntosh's long military career started in 1895 when he joined the Victoria Rifles, a company formed in 1855, which is the oldest volunteer rifle corps in the British Commonwealth. He also served in Wellington with the Zealandia Rifles, another volunteer unit. On returning to Auckland, he rejoined the Victoria Rifles where he gained the rank of colour sergeant. He was later transferred to the Gordon Rifles and resigned in 1902. He rejoined the permanent staff of the New Zealand military forces early in 1914 and was stationed in the North Auckland district as sub-area sergeant-major, controlling the largest area in New Zealand. He went to France with the N.Z.E.F. in 1917 and returned to New Zealand in 1919. He did not go into service again till the outbreak of World War II, when he was stationed in Rotorua as sub-area sergeant-major in charge. Mr McIntosh, a boat builder in Whangarei between the wars, took over a joinery firm in Opotiki on his return from World War II, and later went to Tauranga, where he resumed boat-building. Mr McIntosh was a strong supporter of the Returned Serviceman's Association and held every office except that of president in both the Tauranga and Opotiki branches. He was elected a life member of the Western Bay of Plenty association in 1938. He leaves a daughter, Mrs F. Hamilton, and a son, Mr N. McIntosh.