moved to Auckland where his step-mother still lives. His formal education was completed at Beresford Street School, Freeman's Bay, Auckland. After leaving school at fifteen, he served his apprenticeship as a boilermaker with New Zealand Government Railways at Otahuhu.

Overseas to Japan Although he served with the 16th Maori Battalion Reinforcements he did not go overseas with this unit. However he went to Japan, serving in the 2nd Divisional Cavalry in the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. After his return from Japan, Hone worked in various places. He spent several years in Wellington where, in 1949, he married Jean McCormack of Milford, Auckland. Their eldest son, eleven-year-old Rewi, was born in Wellington. There are two more boys, the twins Robert and Andrew, who were born at Mangakino. For the last ten years he has been working at his trade on the hydro-electric schemes at Mangakino and Matahina. Hone has been interested in poetry for most of his life. An early friendship with the poet R. A. K. Mason has, he says, had a big influence on his writing. A later encouragement came from his association with Noel Hilliard in Wellington and in Mangakino. Since he first appeared in print in ‘Landfall’ people will have seen his poems in various magazines, such as the ‘New Zealand Listener’, ‘Te Ao Hou’ and ‘Mate’. Audiences in Tauranga, Te Puke, Kawerau and Whakatane have heard Hone reading his own poems. He has given readings at Mangakino District High School, Ngata Memorial College and Te Puke High School. Whakatane Cine Club made a delightful series of slides shown to synchronize with spoken poems of Hone's. To hear and see this performance is a truly memorable experience.

Many Other Interests A large part of his spare time is taken up with Trades Union affairs. He has always taken a keen and active interest in the Trades Union, and for the last two years he has been secretary of the local branch at Matahina. He has found time, though, to attend the Young Leaders' Conferences at Auckland, Rotorua, Tauranga, Whakatane, Ruatoria and Murupara. Also, Hone was secretary of the Whakatane and District Maori Advancement Committee which collected contributions for the Education Foundation and sponsored several deserving applicants for assistance. Hone enjoys his writing and the exchange of ideas with other writers. He feels he has an important task in his Trades Union work. But I think his greatest enjoyment is helping his sons to a good education—not just by encouraging them at school, but by taking them to places and talking about what they have seen and done, and making them consciously think about their experiences. To hear Hone probe for his sons' criticism of a good film is to know that here are growing three thinking citizens.

The Old Place No one comes by way of the doughy track through straggly tea tree bush and gorse, past the hidden spring and bitter cress. Under the chill moon's light no one cares to look upon the drunken fence-posts and the gate white with moss. No one except the wind saw the old place make her final curtsy to the sky and earth: and in no protesting sense did iron and barbed wire ease to the rust's invasion nor twang more tautly to the wind's slap and scream. On the cream lorry or morning paper van no one comes, for no one will ever leave the golden city on the fussy train; and there will be no more waiting on the hill beside the quiet tree where the old place falters because no one comes anymore no one.