Henare Raumoa Te Huatahi Balneavis (26 March 1880 – 13 May 1940) was a New Zealand interpreter, private secretary and public administrator of

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 ...

descent. Through his mother Te Rina Matewai he was connected to Ngai Tamanuhiri, Ngati Kahungunu, and Ngati Rakaipaaka; through his father he was connected to Te Whakatohea

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, ...

Early life

In 1895 Balneavis attended

Te Aute College Te Aute College (Māori: Te Kura o Te Aute) is a school in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. It opened in 1854 with twelve pupils under Samuel Williams, an Anglican missionary, and nephew and son-in-law of Bishop William Williams. It has a ...

. After he left, Balneavis was employed by

William Lee Rees William Lee Rees (16 December 1836 – 18 May 1912) was an English-born New Zealand cricketer, politician and lawyer. Early years Rees was born in Bristol in 1836, the son of James Rees, a surgeon, and Elizabeth Pocock. Rees' father died when ...

at his office in Gisborne. Balneavis then trained as an interpreter, graduating in 1903. He was then appointed as a clerk and interpreter in the Native Land Court at Gisborne.

Life as a public servant

Balneavis indispensable skills and talents would eventually lead to his promotion to higher office. In 1909,

Āpirana Ngata Sir Āpirana Turupa Ngata (3 July 1874 – 14 July 1950) was a prominent New Zealand statesman. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have served in Parliament in the mid-20th century, and is also known for his work ...

employed Balneavis as his private secretary. Marking the start of his 28 year long career as private secretary to the Minister of Native Affairs in 1912; serving under Ngata,

William Herries Sir William Herbert Herries (19 April 1859 – 22 February 1923) was an English-born New Zealand politician. Biography Herries was born in London, the son of Herbert Crompton Herries, a barrister, and his wife, Leonora Emma Wickham. His g ...

Gordon Coates Joseph Gordon Coates (3 February 1878 – 27 May 1943) served as the 21st prime minister of New Zealand from 1925 to 1928. He was the third successive Reform prime minister since 1912. Born in rural Northland, Coates grew up on a cattle run a ...

, George Forbes, and

Michael Joseph Savage Michael Joseph Savage (23 March 1872 – 27 March 1940) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of New Zealand, heading the First Labour Government from 1935 until his death in 1940. Savage was born in the Colon ...

. Balneavis ensured that where ministers could not be influenced that there were aware of Maori issues and concerns. Balneavis had an interest in all forms of Maori cultural activity, and became the first secretary to the Maori Ethnological Research, which then merged into the Maori Purposes Fund Board and at one stage he became a secretary for the Polynesian Society. 13 May 1946

Honours

In July 1927, to mark the visit of the

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

and Duchess of York to New Zealand, Balneavis was appointed a

Member of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

Marriage

Balneavis married Irma Leah Wallace in 1928. The couple had no children, and Irma Balneavis died in 1949, nine years after her husband.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Balneavis, Henare Te Raumoa Huatahi 1880 births 1940 deaths Interpreters Ngāi Tāmanuhiri people Ngati Rakaipaaka people Ngāti Kahungunu people Whakatōhea people New Zealand Māori public servants People from Muriwai People from the Gisborne District New Zealand Members of the Royal Victorian Order 20th-century translators