1930s

Kīngi Te Aho Aho Gilling Tahiwi Jnr

Kīngi (Jnr) was born into the famous musically talented Ngāti Raukawa family “The Tahiwis” from Ōtaki who recorded many discs of Māori songs in the 1920’s. Like Lu Paul, he was recruited to join the newly formed National Commercial Broadcasting Service as one of their first Māori announcers, going on air with 2ZB Wellington in 1937.

In this item, Tahiwi speaks to listeners in 2ZB's opening broadcast. Despite being fluent in Te Reo, the station only broadcast in English.

Collection reference 1900
Year 1937

Ōriwa Tahupōtiki Haddon

Born in Waitara as Edward Oliver Haddon, he later took the names Ōriwa Tahupōtiki Haddon and was related to the Parihaka prophet Tohu Kakahi through his father, Tahupōtiki. He received his early schooling at Ōkaiawa and Normanby before attending Wesley College in 1914 at Three Kings, Auckland.

Sometime around 1919 Haddon toured with a concert party through the United States presenting lectures, theatre and vaudeville performances. One of his tasks was to give lectures on Māori life, traditions and customs.

Following a short career as a chemist in Whanganui he entered into the Methodist ministry in 1922 with the view to do ministry work in the Solomon Islands. By 1927 Haddon was recognised as a senior Methodist Māori minister having served as a missioner in Kawakawa. He was given dispensation to continue his links with the Rātana faith despite strong opposition from other religious denominations. He returned to Whanganui in 1930 and took up pharmaceutical work. It was about then that he opted to be called Ōriwa Tahupōtiki Haddon.

In 1936 former Methodist minister, Colin Scrimgeour was appointed as controller of the National Commercial Broadcasting Service. He suggested Haddon consider becoming radio broadcaster at 2ZB in Wellington and he was duly appointed by the Director of Broadcasting, Professor James Shelley. During the lead up to World War Two, Haddon presented a regular programme (in English) Ōriwa’s Māori Session which featured Māori history, legends, and poetry, as well as contributing to other shows including the mobile radio station 5ZB that was based out of a specially kitted train carriage.

He signed up with the airforce in World War Two achieving the rank of Leading Aircraftsman. After the war he was involved in politics and focussed on his work as an artist, being commissioned to create several public murals based on historic Māori events.

Here Ōriwa Haddon presents an episode of his programme Ōriwa's Māori Session, about legends of the Otago coast.

Collection reference 24466
Year 1938