Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Sadness at loss of former council Māori liaison officer Perenu (Nu) Callaghan

Rotorua Daily Post
15 May, 2018 05:29 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Former council Māori liaison officer Perenu (Nu) Callaghan passed away on Sunday, aged 81. Photo/File

Former council Māori liaison officer Perenu (Nu) Callaghan passed away on Sunday, aged 81. Photo/File

Current and former Rotorua Lakes Council elected members have today expressed their sadness at the passing of former council Māori liaison officer Perenu (Nu) Callaghan.

Mr Callaghan, who worked at the former County Council and then the new district council when the county and city councils amalgamated in 1979, died on Sunday, aged 81.

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick knew him in her former role as MP and said he also worked closely with her late husband John Chadwick.

"He was a very respectful and reflective man – quite before his time really. He always gave very sound advice," she said.

"John was also very fond of him. Nu was very well known in forestry circles and that's the context in which I mainly had dealings with him. He was a lovely man."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Callaghan was a council employee from 1971 until 1993.

Long-serving councillor Trevor Maxwell shared the mayor's sentiments describing Mr Callaghan as "a warm-hearted guy" who had a great love of rugby, especially Bay of Plenty rugby.

"In his role at council he was very approaching and very inclusive and he was a huge support for anyone dealing with council at the time – he was the go-to if iwi had any issues or problems and played a huge role at council," Maxwell said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Former Rotorua mayor Grahame Hall said Callaghan was employed by the former County Council and when in 1979 it amalgamated with the then City Council to become the district council, he transferred to the new local body.

Hall said Mr Callaghan provided great support and advice for former mayor, the late John Keaney, and to all elected members.

"He was very, very well respected, a really great guy who had a passion for what he was doing. He was always really good at getting out amongst the people and was the first port of call if there was an issue.

"Being a good strong community man, even in his work for council he always had the community at heart and did everything on the basis of what was good for everyone."

Hall said he remembered his great sense of humour and said he tried to keep himself fit and in shape.

"I used to see him running the streets in the mornings. He was someone who earned huge respect from all local elected members, as well as council staff and iwi," Hall said.

Perenu Kaingakau Callaghan's funeral service is at St Faith's Church, Ohinemutu, at 11am Thursday May 17.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Midweek windfall: Winning Lotto ticket sold in Rotorua

10 Jul 02:37 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

10 Jul 12:40 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua council takes back control of parking services

09 Jul 09:40 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Midweek windfall: Winning Lotto ticket sold in Rotorua

Midweek windfall: Winning Lotto ticket sold in Rotorua

10 Jul 02:37 AM

Twelve players nationwide each won in the live draw.

Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

10 Jul 12:40 AM
Rotorua council takes back control of parking services

Rotorua council takes back control of parking services

09 Jul 09:40 PM
The amalgamation debate: Mayor claims 'no one’s prepared to act'

The amalgamation debate: Mayor claims 'no one’s prepared to act'

09 Jul 09:20 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP