Hoani Te Whatahoro

Whatahoro was born at Rakaukaka, Poverty Bay, and was educated by his father, tutored by a Mr Crawford in Wellington, and later attended mission schools. M. J. Parsons writes in his biographical notes that Whatahoro "became a prolific writer on Māori traditions and customs. He usually acted as a scribe or recorder... At Papawai, near Greytown, in 1865, Hoani recorded traditions given by Te Matorohanga, with Paratene Te Okawhare and Nepia Pohuhu assisting. He continued to make a record of information from the teachings of Nepia Pohuhu and Te Matorohanga until their deaths in the 1880s.... About 1902 he moved to Wanganui and continued his interest in tribal traditions and copied Ngāti Tuwharetoa manuscripts and information from Te Umukura and Whaiti-nga-rere-Waka... In February 1907 he was elected a corresponding member of the Polynesian Society and maintained his membership until his death" [Reference: The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography vol.1 M.J. Parsons: 214-215].

“In his introductory remarks to “The Lore of the Whare-Wananga” (Vol.III of Memoirs), the late Mr Percy Smith dwells on the obligation students of Māori lore owe to H.T. Whatahoro in his having recorded, in the late fifties of the last century, with the help of Aporo Te Kumeroa, the ancient record, as recited by the two learned priests Te Matorohanga and Nepia Pohutu, and in part now chronicled in the Journal and Memoirs of the Polynesian Society. Te Whatahoro was engaged, off and on, for some years in recording to the dictation of these two learned men the ancient beliefs, history, etc. of the Māori people. This information had up to within comparatively recently been considered by the tribe to be of too sacred a nature to be disclosed to Europeans, and for over fifty years these records were carefully preserved by Te Whatahoro, but copies were later deposited in the Dominion Museum, Wellington. It is now the intention of the Board of Ethnological Research to have these printed in the full Māori text to place them beyond the risk of loss by fire or other accident. H.T.Whatahoro was for some years a Corresponding Member of the Society. For fuller details as to our late Member’s work, and a striking likeness of ‘The Scribe’, we refer our readers to Vol. III of the Memoirs.” “The matter written down by H. T. Whatahoro during those years has remained in his possession for over fifty years; it is contained in several volumes of folio size, much of which has recently been copied under the auspices of the tribal Committee known as ‘Tane-nui-a-rangi,’ and the copies deposited in the Dominion Museum, Wellington”. Known as Hoani Te Whatahoro Jury, John Alfred Jury, John Alfred Te Whatahoro Jury, Te Whatahoro Jury, and Hoani Turi Te Whatahoro.

Biographical sources

• Parsons, M. J. "Jury, Hoani Te Whatahoro." The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography Vol.1 1769-1869. Wellington, N.Z.: Allen & Unwin
• Dept. of Internal Affairs, 1990. 214-215.
• Te Matorohanga and Nepia Pohutu. The Lore of the Whare-Wananga. Written down by H. T. Whatahoro. Trans. Percy Smith. Vol.1. New Plymouth, N.Z.: Polynesian Soc., 1913- 1915. Ii. Rpt. New York: AMS, 1978.
• "Obituary." Journal of the Polynesian Society 32 (1923): 243.