Martin Theodore Te Punga

Te Āti Awa

1921 - 1989

Martin Te Punga was born in Halcombe and went to school at Feilding Agricultural College. He continued his studies at Victoria University College and graduated with M.Sc (Hons) in Geology in 1943 and a PhD in Geology at Victoria. While studying at Victoria he played rugby for the university. In 1947 he married Valerie Martin and had two daughters and two sons. He worked in the Geology Department at Victoria University. From 1954-55 he was awarded a Nuffield Foundation Fellowship and conducted advanced studies and research at London University. On his return to New Zealand, Te Punga lectured at Victoria University and later worked for the New Zealand Geological Survey in Lower Hutt until his retirement. His writing was confined to academic scientific papers which involved a lot of field work. He focused on radio carbon dating and was also involved in researching the occurrence of red weathering. He began studying ice wedges during his study in England and continued this work in New Zealand. Te Punga was a member of the Royal Society.

Biographical sources

  • Phone conversation and correspondence with Mrs Valerie Te Punga on12 and 15 Sept. 1998. Te Ao Hou 9 (1954): 22.

    Non-fiction

  • The Vrica Section And The Olduvai Event. New Zealand Geological Survey Report G. 62. Lower Hutt, N.Z.: New Zeland Geological Survey, 1982.
  • Co-authored with R. P. Suggate.
  • A Calendar Of Events In New Zealand 0-2.5 m.y. BP. New Zealand Geological Survey Report G. 78. [Lower Hutt], N.Z.: New Zealand Geological Survey, 1983.
  • Seven Climatic Cycles In New Zealand During The Last Half-Million Years. New Zealand Geological Survey Report G. 79. [Lower Hutt], N.Z.: New Zealand Geological Survey, 1984.
  • Age, Distribution And Clay Mineralogy Of The Mangaroa Ash, Wellington, N.Z. New Zealand Geological Survey Report G. 80. Lower Hutt, N.Z.: New Zealand Geological Survey, 1984.
  • A Note On The Kaitoke Gravel Formation. New Zealand Geological Survey Report G. 87. [Lower Hutt], N.Z.: New Zealand Geological Survey, 1984.

  • Other

  • Quaternary Geology - South Island. Maxwell Gage, R. P. Suggate, France J. Tindall, Patricia M. Riddolls, B. W. Creed and M. T. Te Punga. Wellington, N.Z.: Dept. of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1973.
  • Miscellaneous series map/New Zealand Geological Survey; 6 col. map 93 x 79cm. Fold in cover 26 x 17 cm.
  • Field Notebooks. Unpublished notebooks. 1971-1983.

  • Papers/Presentations

  • The Geology Of The Rangitikei Valley. 1943. No further details.
  • A New Zealand Coal Study. 1945. No further details.
  • "Fossil Spores From New Zealand Coals." Royal Society of New Zealand Report of the Sixth Science Congress May 20-23. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand 77.5 (1947): 289-296.
  • "The Paryphantidae And A Cook Strait Land Bridge." New Zealand Journal Of Science And Technology. B, General Section 35.1 (1953): 51-63.
  • "A Late Pleistocene Land Bridge Across Cook Strait, New Zealand." New Zealand Journal Of Science And Technology. B, General Section 35.2 (1953): 161-192.
  • The Late Tertiary And Quaternary Geological History Of Western Wellington, N.Z. Wellington, N.Z.: The Author, 1954.
  • "Evidence For A Low Sea-Level 9,900 Years Ago." New Zealand Journal Of Geology And Geophysics 1 (1957): 92-94.
  • Guidebook for Excursion A13. Western North Island. INQUA IX International Congress Tour Notes. (Plus Supplement, 153-251, N.Z. Geological Survey Tour Guide, Quaternary Geology, Tectonics And Geomorphology Of Wellington Peninsula), 1973. 1-152, 253-263. maps.
  • Co-authored with D. C. Mildenhall, D. Kear, and G. R. Stevens.
  • "Neogen Time Planes." Wellington Conference Nov 25 1974: Abstracts. 1 v. Geological Society of New Zealand. Lower Hutt, N.Z.: Geological Soc. of New Zealand Miscellaneous Publication, 1974. 17a.
  • "Paleomagnetism Of Two Red Paleosols And Mangaroa Ash, Upper Hutt, New Zealand." New Zealand Journal Of Geology And Geophysics 19.6 (1976): 849-854.
  • Co-authored with P. Vella, B. R. Lienert and D. A. Christoffel.
  • "Fission-Track Ages And Correlation Of Middle And Lower Pleistocene Sequences From Nebraska And New Zealand." New Zealand Journal of Geology And Geophysics 20.1 (1977): 47-58.
  • Co-authored with J. D. Boellstorff.
  • "Upper Jurassic Fossils From The Ruahine Range: Note." New Zealand Journal Of Geology And Geophysics 21.6 (1978): 773-774.
  • Field Trip To Wanganui Basin, Geological Society Of New Zealand Conference. 1974. The Geology of New Zealand. 2 Vols. Chief Ed. Richard Patrick Suggate; Associate Ed. G. R. Stevens and M. T. Te Punga. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer, 1978.
  • Co-authored with J. D. G. Milne, D. Seward, and D. C. Mildenhall.
  • Geology And Erosion In The Ruahine Range: New Zealand Geological Survey Report G. Lower Hutt: New Zealand Geological Survey, 1978.
  • Co-authored with D. Smale, B. F. Houghton, I. C. McKellar, G. D. Mansergh, P. R. Moore, T.G. Grant-Taylor and I. Speden.
  • "Fission-Track Age Of The Mangaroa Ash And Tectonic Implications At Wellington, New Zealand." New Zealand Journal Of Geology And Geophysics 23.5 & 6 (1980): 615-621.
  • Co-authored with C.W. Naeser and S. Nishimura.
  • "Lower Hutt to Mangaweka via Fielding, Kimbolton and Rangiwahia." New Zealand Geological Survey Conference, Turangi, 1981. Wellington, N.Z.: New Zealand Geological Survey, 1981.
  • "In Pursuit Of The Pliocene-Pleistocene Boundary." Newsletter Geological Society of New Zealand 52 (1981): 21-28.
  • Co-authored with A. R. Edwards and N. de B. Hornibrook.
  • The Pliocene-Pleistocene Boundary And The Nukumaruan Stage, New Zealand. Report/New Zealand Geological Survey 96. Lower Hutt, N.Z.: Dept. of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1981.
  • Lower Hutt to Mangaweka via Feilding, Kimbolton and Rangiwahia. [Lower Hutt], N.Z.: NZ Geological Survey Staff Conference Tour Notes, Maps, 1981.
  • Co-authored with J. D. G. Milne.
  • Lower Hutt to Mangaweka via Fielding, Kimbolton and Rangiwahia. 1981. No further details.
  • "Fission-Track Age of the Mangaroa Ash And Tectonic Implications At Wellington, New Zealand: Reply." New Zealand Journal Of Geology And Geophysics 24.5 & 6 (1982): 654-655.
  • "Labelling Error of Dated Volcanic Ash from the Vrica Section." Newsletter Geological Society of New Zealand 57 (1982): 37-38.