Maureen Kingi was born in Rotorua and was educated at Rotorua Primary School and Rotorua High School where she was awarded the Māori Purposes Fund prize in her final year for the top Māori female student in the school. She studied radiography at Auckland Hospital and in 1962 became Miss New Zealand. She married, had five children and returned to her radiography studies. When she qualified in 1974, she scored the highest result in Australasia in her Radiography Qualification exam. She then completed a Diploma in Radiography at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia. Maureen was a Rotorua City Councillor from She now works with the Te Arawa Standing Committee at the Rotorua District Council and the Māori Regional Representation Committee at Environment Bay of Plenty. She is a Board member of Kotahitanga o Te Arawa Fisheries and is also on Te Kahui Hauora, the Health Committee for Te Arawa. Maureen works with the Māori Constituency working party in the MMRC and is actively involved in the anti-casino lobby. She also chairs the Rotorua Branch of COAC. She coordinates and writes the programme for the Rotorua International Māori Entertainers’ concert party that provide hangi and concert evenings at the Centra Hotel in Whakarewarewa. She has written articles for a tourism magazine, as well as reports for local government and representations to select committees. Her married name is Maureen Waaka.
Biographical sources
- Phone conversation with Maureen Waaka, 23 July 1998.
- "A Letter from Maureen." Te Ao Hou 40 (1962): 2-3.
Other
- "A Letter from Maureen." Te Ao Hou 40 (1962): 2-3.
- When Kingi was awarded the title of Miss New Zealand in 1962, Te Ao Hou invited her to write a letter to the readers of Te Ao Hou. In this letter, Kingi speaks of her love of the Māori culture and her growing knowledge of te reo Māori. She stresses the need for the older generations to help young Māori learn the Māori language. She argues that all Māoridom has a duty ‘to preserve our traditional action songs, poi, haka, and stick games for the coming generation.’
Sound recordings
- "This Is Maureen Kingi: Māori Songs With Strings." Kiwi Lc-8 12in. 33 1/3 LP. 1962. No further details.
Reviews
- Armstrong, Alan. "This Is Maureen Kingi: Māori Songs With Strings." Te Ao Hou 42 (1963): 54-55.