Tualaulelei Mauri (12 June 1903 – 8 September 1961) was a Western Samoan chief and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly between 1943 and 1961, and as Minister of Lands and Minister of Agriculture between 1956 and 1961.

Biography

Mauri was born on 12 June 1903.Lauofo Meti (2002) ''Samoa: The Making of the Constitution'', National University of Samoa, p325 Originally from the villages of

Siumu Siumu is a village on the central south coast of Upolu island in Samoa. The population is 1183. There is also a sub-village Siumu Uta which has a population of 304. Siumu Electoral Constituency Siumu Electoral Constituency (''Faipule District'') c ...

and

Vaito'omuli Vaito'omuli is a village on the island of Savai'i in Samoa. It is situated on the south coast of the island in the district of Palauli Palauli is a district and village of Samoa, with a population (2016 Census) of 9,300. It consists of two sectio ...

, he attended the Marist Brothers schools in

Apia Apia () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Samoa, as well as the nation's only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō ...

and

Suva Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divi ...

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

.Western Samoa Delegation: Biographical Details of Delegates
Second South Pacific Commission He subsequently worked in the civil service for eleven years in the departments of Post and Telegraphs, Public Works and the Secretariat. He also spent 15 year working in the private sector. In 1938 he was made a chief. In 1943 Mauri was appointed to the Legislative Council by Administrator

Alfred Turnbull Sir Alfred Clarke Turnbull (14 October 1881 – 17 September 1962) was a New Zealand colonial administrator who served as Administrator of Western Samoa and Tokelau between 1935 and 1946. Biography Turnbull was born in Balclutha in 1881.

,Meti, p22 and was reappointed following the 1944 elections. In the 1948 elections to the new Legislative Assembly, he was elected in the Palauli constituency. He was re-elected in

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

, and in In 1953, was awarded the

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du couronnement de la Reine Élizabeth II) is a commemorative medal instituted to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. Award This medal was awarded a ...

. He was re-elected again in

1954 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 ...

. Having previously served on the Executive Council, when a

Member System The Member System, modeled on the cabinet system, was created by British authorities in Malaysia to provide self-governance. Like the Communities Liaison Committee, it drew on members of different communities, and was later described as setting a ...

was introduced in 1956, he became Member for Lands.Lauofo Meti (2002) ''Samoa: The Making of the Constitution'', p39 The Legislative Assembly was expended prior to the 1957 elections and Mauri was re-elected in Palauli East. Following the elections, full ministerial government was introduced and Mauri was appointed Minister of Lands.New Assembly Sworn In
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', January 1958, p99 In February 1959 he was convicted in the High Court of assault and had to give up his seat and ministerial position. However, in the subsequent by-election he was returned unopposed. When the office of

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

was created later in the year, he was one of three candidates for the post, but was defeated by Fiame Mata'afa. He was appointed Minister for Agriculture, Avele College and Marketing Division in Mata'afa's new government. In the 1961 elections he lost to

Afoafouvale Misimoa Afioga Afoafouvale Misimoa (25 September 1900 – 18 February 1971), also known by his European name Harry William Moors, was a Western Samoan businessman and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly in two spells between ...

in the Palauli East constituency by 46 votes to 42.Results of Samoan Elections in Dispute
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', April 1961, pp118–119 He submitted a petition to the high court to have the result overturned, claiming that a death oath had been placed on voters by a local chief if Misimoa was not elected. However, his case was dismissed due to contradictory evidence. Mauri died at his home in Apia on 8 September 1961.Tualaulelei Mauri
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', October 1961, p71

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mauri, Tualaulelei 1903 births Samoan chiefs Samoan civil servants Government ministers of Samoa Members of the Legislative Council of Samoa Members of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa 1961 deaths