Te Aouru Biddle

Te Aouru was born in Rotorua and educated at Lake Rotoma, Waiiti Native School and Turakina Māori Girls’ College, Marton which she won a government scholarship to attend. She continued her studies at Auckland Teachers’ College and was awarded a trained teachers certificate in 1951. She taught at Horohoro and Waiohau before her marriage and later returned to teaching at Rotoma School and James Street, a Whakatane primary school. When her husband was posted to Waimana as a Presbyterian Minister, Te Aouru began working at Waimana School. She later taught at Tokaanu District High School and Turangi Primary School. Te Aouru became the senior teacher of junior classes at Hirangi School, and in 1969 moved to Auckland where she taught at Panmure District School for two years. In 1972 she became assistant principal at Rongomai Primary School and in 1992 was appointed principal at Rongomai. After leaving Rongomai she spent two years tutoring at a private teacher-training institution, Te Wananga Takiura o Tamaki Makaurau. On leaving there, she became a mentor to a Kura Kaupapa Māori principal – a role she thoroughly enjoys as it keeps her in touch with teaching and with new initiatives being developed in Māori education and education in general. Te Aouru has also worked at the College of Education in the Māori Studies Department. She has written material for children, short stories, poems and waiata for use in schools.

Biographical sources

• Correspondence from Te Aouru Biddle, 8 Apr. 1999, and 26 Mar. 2004.
• Education is Change: Twenty Viewpoints. Ed. Harvey McQueen. Wellington, N.Z.: Bridget Williams, 1993.