Moana Nui-a-Kiwa Hinemoa Whaanga (née Manley; 28 October 1935 – 15 November 2017) was a New Zealand swimmer and beauty pageant winner. In 1954, she became the first

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

to win the Miss New Zealand title.

Early life and family

Te Arawa Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori iwi and hapu (tribes and sub-tribes) of New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the Arawa migration canoe (''waka'').Rotorua on 28 October 1935, to Nimera Rikihana and Reginald George Harwood "Jim" Manley. Nimera affiliated to the

Tūhourangi Tūhourangi is a Māori iwi of New Zealand with a rohe centered on Lake Tarawera, Lake Rotomahana, Lake Okaro, Lake Okareka, Lake Rotokākahi, Lake Tikitapu and Lake Rotorua. They have 3 marae, Te Pakira Marae in Whakarewarewa, Hinemihi (Te ...

Ngāti Pikiao Ngāti Pikiao is a Māori iwi of New Zealand. Te Arawa FM is the radio station of Te Arawa iwi, including Ngāti Pikiao, Tūhourangi and Ngāti Whakaue. It was established in the early 1980s and became a charitable entity in November 1990. The ...

and

Ngāti Tarāwhai Ngāti Tarāwhai is a Māori iwi of the Rotorua area of New Zealand, and a member of the Te Arawa confederation of tribes. The iwi's rohe (tribal area) covers the western shore of Lake Ōkataina. The tribe's carving has been noted historically ...

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, ...

, and was a direct descendant of Wahiao, the brother of Hinemoa; she was also a cousin of Guide Rangi. Moana Manley's father was from England, and was a photographer, filmmaker, and well-known high diver both in England and in New Zealand. He was the grandson of Surgeon General William Manley who was awarded the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

for his actions at the

Battle of Gate Pā The Tauranga campaign was a six-month-long armed conflict in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty in early 1864, and part of the New Zealand Wars that were fought over issues of land ownership and sovereignty. The campaign was a sequel to the invasion o ...

during the

New Zealand wars The New Zealand Wars took place from 1845 to 1872 between the New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori on one side and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. They were previously commonly referred to as the Land Wars or the ...

. Manley's family moved to

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

when she was an infant, living first in the eastern suburbs and then Parnell. In September 1943, she presented a bouquet to

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

at the

Auckland Town Hall Auckland Town Hall is an Edwardian building on Queen Street in the Auckland CBD, New Zealand, known both for its original and ongoing use for administrative functions (such as Council meetings and hearings), as well as its famed Great Hall and ...

during the latter's visit to New Zealand. Manley was educated at Epsom Girls' Grammar School, and went on to study at Auckland Teachers' Training College. In January 1956, she married Māui Whaanga, and the couple went on to have five children.

Swimming and beauty pageants

Manley was nominated for the New Zealand swimming team to go to the

1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, but she did not compete because of her beauty pageant commitments. Also in 1954, she won the pageant titles of Miss Swimming and Miss Auckland, and subsequently won the inaugural competition for

Miss Universe New Zealand Miss Universe New Zealand is the New Zealand national Beauty pageant which feeds into the international Miss Universe competition. Qualification for Miss Universe New Zealand is based on regional pageants and/or personal interviews (necessary ...

. She went on to represent New Zealand at the Miss Universe 1954 competition, where she fainted while posing under the hot sun.

Death

Whaanga died in Auckland on 15 November 2017, aged 82, following a stroke. She was buried at Hamilton Park Cemetery,

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manley, Moana 1935 births 2017 deaths Ngāti Pikiao people Tuhourangi people Ngāti Tarāwhai people New Zealand people of English descent People from Rotorua People educated at Epsom Girls' Grammar School Miss Universe 1954 contestants New Zealand beauty pageant winners New Zealand Māori sportspeople New Zealand female swimmers Burials at Hamilton Park Cemetery Sportspeople from Rotorua