History of Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board
Legislation (Section 14 of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1926) was passed to give effect to the agreement which provided: that the bed of Lake Taupo and the bed of the Waikato River to the Huka Falls be declared the property of the Crown; a right-of-way reserved to the public not exceeding once chain in width be granted around the margin of Lake Taupo; and that the beds of certain river or streams running into the lake be declared Crown land.
As part settlement and in consideration for the rights an annual payment of £3,000, together with half of the licence revenue, over and above the annual grant was provided for by the Government to be paid our of the Consolidated Fund to a board, which was to be called the Tuwharetoa Trust Board. The Board was constituted under Section 16 of the Act referred to above, and its objects were to administer all funds held by it for the general benefit of the member of Ngati Tuwharetoa or their descendants. Among many of its objects were: the making available of education grants to assist young Maori students through secondary schools, colleges and universities, and for the training of Maori dental and medical nurses; the subsiding of medical and hospital services for the tribe; the subsidising of the district nursing and school dental services; housing; and the provisions for the improvement of maraes and the installation of water supplies.
An Order-in-Council issued on 15th November 1926 appointed the first member of the board, who were: Hoani TeHeuheu of Waihi; Pau Mariu of Waihi; Kahu Te Kuru of Kakahi; Paora Rokino of Taupo; Pitiroi Mohi of Taupo; Taite Te Tomo of Halcombe; Takinga Arthur Grace of Taupo; and Werihe Te Tuiri of Waihi. Their first meeting was held at Tokaanu on 24th November 1926, when Hoani Te Heuheu was elected chairman, and Puataata Alfred Grace, secretary1.
All the support systems we have on ready supply today (and perhaps take for granted) to run an organisation - the new Board had none. They started from scratch: organising licence prints/sales, revenue collection, accounting, general administration etc .They found this to be complicated and very time consuming. Despite this, within two months of starting, the Trust Board had settled an arrangement to set up Dr Armstrong at Taupo to provide free medical service for tribal members. And within eight months, a second arrangement with Dr Latchmore, again to be stationed at Taupo to also provide the same service to members of Ngati Tuwharetoa. At the same time a search was underway to find a nurse to be stationed at Tokaanu.
A simple, practical network system was set up: each Board member was allocated a zone and expected to “keep a tab” on which pakeke were living in the zone. Each Board Member would keep their “ear to the ground” and report when someone had fallen ill. Each Board Member would confirm with the doctor that the person being treated was a “true blue” Tuwharetoa.
The Tūwharetoa Trust Board has been in place since 1926 with a key role to protect Taupo Moana and its tributaries for its people today and into the future while advocating for the collective tribal position when appropriate.
