Sir James Clendon Tau Hēnare, (18 November 1911 – 2 April 1989) was a New Zealand tribal leader, military officer, farmer and community leader. He fought for four years with the Māori Battalion during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, was wounded at El Alamein, and with the rank of lieutenant colonel was the battalion's commanding officer when the war ended. He stood for Parliament for the National Party in the Northern Maori electorate on several occasions: , , , , and the 1963 by-election.

Biography

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 Co ...

descent, Hēnare identified with the

Ngāpuhi Ngāpuhi (also known as Ngāpuhi-Nui-Tonu or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland regions of New Zealand centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei. According to the 2023 New Zealand census, the estimate ...

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English. ...

. He was born in Motatau, Northland, the son of Taurekareka Hēnare and Hera Paerata. He was educated at Sacred Heart College, Auckland and at Massey Agricultural College. Hēnare enrolled as a private in the Māori Battalion in 1940, training at Trenthham Military Camp. He served in the North African and Italian campaigns from 1941 to 1945 and was promoted to captain in 1942, followed by a promotion to major in 1944. He succeed Arapeta Awatere in 1945, becoming lieutenant colonel and commanding officer of the battalion. In the 1966 Queen's Birthday Honours, Hēnare was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, for services to the Māori people. In the 1978 New Year Honours, he was promoted to

Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, for services to the community, especially Māori affairs. James was present for the landing of the historical Hawaiian voyaging canoe

Hōkūleʻa ''Hōkūlea'' is a performance-accurate ''waa kaulua'', a Polynesian culture, Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe. Launched on 8 March 1975 by the Polynesian Voyaging Society, it is best known for its 1976 Hawaii to Tahiti voyage com ...

in Waitangi from its Rarotonga leg in December 1985 and the induction of its sailors as the 6th and most recent tribe of the Tai Tokerau.

Tau Henare Raymond Tau Henare (born 29 September 1960) is a former New Zealand Māori people, Māori parliamentarian. In representing three different political parties in parliament—New Zealand First, Mauri Pacific and the New Zealand National Party, Na ...

, a member of parliament between 1993 and 2014, is his great-nephew. Peeni Henare, who was elected to parliament in , is a grandson.

References

1911 births 1989 deaths 20th-century New Zealand farmers Military personnel from the Northland Region Ngāpuhi people New Zealand military personnel of World War II New Zealand Māori soldiers Māori politicians New Zealand National Party politicians New Zealand Companions of the Distinguished Service Order New Zealand Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand Army officers Unsuccessful candidates in the 1963 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1951 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1949 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1946 New Zealand general election Massey University alumni People educated at Sacred Heart College, Auckland {{Māori-bio-stub