Puti Tipene (Steve) Watene

Ngāti Maru, Te Arawa

1910 - 1967

Born in Kirikiri, Thames, Watene was educated at Kopu Public School and Omaio Native School. He went on to study at ōpōtiki and Thames High School and conducted further study at the Māori Agricultural College in the Hawkes Bay. Watere worked in the Native Department in Auckland in 1939. He attended the Young Māori Conference of 1939 and presented a report from the Hauraki delegates. He married Phyllis May Rukutai. A gifted sportsman Watene captained the Manukau and provincial rugby league teams and went on to the Captain the New Zealand rugby league team during their three tests in 1936 and 1937. He contributed to the establishment of the Ngāti Muturangi Māori Club, and the Māori Community Centre in Auckland’s Fanshawe Street. He was elected on to the Mount Wellington Borough Council in 1953 and in 1956 worked as the Gear Meat Company’s hostel manager and industrial welfare officer before becoming a member of the Petone Borough Council in the mid 1960s. He was active in national politics and in 1963 was elected as the Labour Member of Parliament for Eastern Māori. He died in the Parliament Buildings in June 1967.

Biographical sources

  • Report of Young Māori Conference Held At Auckland University College, May 22-26, 1939. [Auckland, N.Z.: Auckland University College, 1939].
  • Henare, Manuka. “Watene, Puti Tipene - Biography.” Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, upated 1-Sep-10. URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/biographies/Sw12/1

    Biography

  • Henare, Manuka. "Watene, Puti Tipene - Biography." Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, upated 1-Sep-10. URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/biographies/Sw12/1

  • Non-fiction

  • "Report from Hauraki." S. Watere. [sic] In ‘Impressions of Conference.’ Report of Young Māori Conference Held At Auckland University College, May 22-26, 1939. [Auckland, N.Z.: Auckland University College, 1939]. 43.
  • Watene praises the organisers of the conference, particularly Professor Belshaw, Sir Apirana Ngata and Tai Mitchell, and lists the goals which the Hauraki delegates intend to work on when they return home. He endorses Ngata’s suggestion for a new marae in Auckland.

    Other

  • Taylor, M. J. "Tribute to the Late P. T. (Steve) Watene." Te Ao Hou 60 (1967): 3-4.