Five generations of one whānau: Ngahuia (left), her mother Ripene Hoepo, Maryann Adlam, Jessica Adlam-O'Dea and MaryAnne Raharaha (nee Hagger). Photo / Supplied
Learning and preserving the kōrero (stories) of your tūpuna (ancestors) is a taonga (treasure) for Māori and no less for the whānau of 95-year-old kuia (elder) MaryAnne Raharaha.
Over the recent festive season, members of the Raharaha whānau had the opportunity to do just that when they successfully assembled five generations of whānau to spend time with their kuia MaryAnne.
Born in Kaimaumau on the beautiful Rangaunu peninsula on May 18, 1926, MaryAnne Raharaha (nee Hagger) is the 11th child of Frederick Colin Hagger and Ngawini Heemi Ngapo.
Mere Maihi (Pawarenga) and her husband Hemi Ngapo (Paparore) adopted their daughter Ngawini to her biological aunt Mereana Maihi, who was lovingly referred to by the Hagger children as "Granny Winika".
Ngawini sadly passed away at age 35 when MaryAnne was just 16 months old.
"Having little remembrance of my mother and never being really attached to my father, Granny Winika was the only mother I knew and loved, along with her brother Arapeti Maihi," MaryAnne said.
"My grandparents Frederick James Hagger and Georgina Balneavis were also actively involved in our care, and my life was good and happy," she said.
"Granny Winika used to dig gum to buy a tin of milk and we had kumara gardens as well as apples, grapes, big creamy peaches, pears, chickens and a cow named Molly. I remember sleeping under the tea tree while they worked."
The 95-year-old great-great-grandmother said she had many fond memories of her upbringing in Kaimaumau, where she and her siblings grew up with an awareness of their rich whakapapa (genealogy) made up of Māori, Jewish, Indian, Dutch and European heritage.
Frederick James (aka 'Old Hagger' to his grandchildren) was a well-known Far North identity born in Madras (India) in 1851 to parents, Captain Thomas West Hagger (Anglo/Jewish descent) and Charlotte Von Driberg White.
Frederick was a merchant, trader, postmaster, Justice of the Peace, kauri gum-buyer, broker, storekeeper, wrestler, boxer, pioneer and one of the few people with any medical knowledge on the northern gumfields.
As a result, he would often travel long distances on foot and horseback, day or night to assist sick settlers or people in distress.
In the 1880s he was also the largest trader and kauri gum-buyer in the Whangaroa district and in 1891 became the Kaimaumau postmaster along with his wife Georgina.
Georgina (born in 1855) also came from a family with several notable identities pertinent to New Zealand history.
She was the daughter of Lt. Colonel Henry Colin Balneavis and Mariane Hineahua Rangihaerepo, who was the daughter of the Māori chief Rangihaerepo who signed the Treaty of Waitangi for the Whakatōhea people on the East Coast.
They had four daughters and two sons, one of whom was Georgina.
Lt. Colonel Henry Colin Balneavis, born in 1818 in Ghent, Belgium, was the son of Lt. General Henry Balneavis who was Commandant and Governor of Malta.
The colonel came to New Zealand in April 1845 in the commission of the 58th Regiment and spent the rest of his military life in Aotearoa New Zealand engaged in several military actions.
On his retirement in March 1865, he was appointed sheriff for the district of Auckland and remained consular agent for Italy.
He was fluent in English, Arabic, Maltese, French, Italian and Māori.
Coming from such a diverse and culturally rich ancestry, MaryAnne said her grandparents' home in Kaimaumau was a big house and always full of treasures representative of their different heritage and experiences.
"I'll never forget that house, it was beautiful," she said.
"Inside there were beautiful big paintings and exquisite antique furniture."
She also recalled how the different cultures influenced the children's outfits and how the girls would dress in white frilly dresses and be on their best behaviour when visiting their grandfather's house.
"The large table would be laid with beautiful lace cloths and there would be two knives, two forks, two spoons and the finest of antique plates and glasses," Maryanne said.
"When my grandfather used to take us to the Paparore Marae, immaculately dressed in our frilly dresses, the young fellas always used to giggle and say 'here comes Fred Hagger and his Jews'!
"Looking back now, I laugh because it must have looked really funny! Definitely a clash of two worlds".
MaryAnne left Kaimaumau to work in Auckland in 1943 for her first job at a sewing factory, where she received 3 pounds 10 shillings per week. When not busy working, she could be found at the local dance halls.
In 1981 she, along with her beloved husband Pastor Edward (Ted) Raharaha, decided to return to their roots in the Far North.
The great-great-grandmother now has 56 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren - and counting.
After the passing of Ted in 2012, MaryAnne returned to Auckland with family members, and daughter Maryann Adlam (named after her mother, just spelt differently) said although missing home, she had become accustomed once again to being a "city slicker".
Every Christmas MaryAnne comes home, and thankfully due to the country dropping to Covid level 3 restrictions, she was able to be reunited with everyone again late last year.
Daughter Maryann said they spent 10 wonderful days together, with five generations sharing memories and kōrero they will treasure always.
"Over the past 10 years, I have enjoyed gleaning any and every bit of information I can, especially because of Mum's strong combination of many various nationalities and cultures," Maryann said.
"I think it is sad if we do not capture these stories when given the opportunity, so they are not lost.
"Research becomes both exciting and enigmatic at the same time, especially for Māori families when you find several different names that are actually the same person.
"I think if ever there was a 'Clash of the Titans' our family was it!"