Mātua Bill Kaua was a great servant of the church and his people

Respected Anglican minister and educationalist Bill Kaua.

Māoridom is mourning the passing of Bill Kaua, a rangatira, who became an Anglican priest on retirement after decades as a leading public servant.

Bill had connections with Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau ā Mahaki, Ngāti Horowai, Te Aitanga-ā-Hauiti, Rongowhakaata, Ngā Tāmanuhiri, Te Aitanga-ā-Māhaki, Ruapani, Ngāti Kahungunu, and Ngāti Rakaipaaka.

He spent the first half of his career as a traffic officer in Palmerston North and Rotorua, and then went to the Department of Māori Affairs, where he was Wellington district manager when the organisation was wound up in 1989.

Bill went on to senior roles in the Ministry of Education, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust.

Friend and former race relations commissioner Meng Foon says Bill made an outstanding contribution to the nation, which was acknowledged when he was made an Officer of the Order of NZ Merit in 2018 for services to Māori, education and the state.

“His love was to his faith – wherever you go uncle was here to support the Pareha, the Hahi Mihinare so just an awesome guy and we will miss ko whakapoukaha to nga mahi mā tātou.”

Whānau Ora commissioning chief executive John Tamihere also paid tribute to his longtime friend and servant of Māori people.

“He aitua!

E tangi tīkapa Ana mātou o Waipareira ki a koe e te taniwha hikuroa, mōu I hāpai, I tautoko I te Māori e noho tāone Ana. Ka hoki ngā mahara ki āu mahinga ringa whero ki ngā tini kaupapa e aupehi te Māori. E kore rawa e wareware tō whakapeto ngoi kia ora ai te reo, kia pakari ai tātou te Māori. E Kara, Kia au tō moe.

“I first met Bill in 1984 when he was the director, head of Māori Community Services at Te Tairāwhiti Department of Maori Affairs, while I was also working there as young solicitor.

“The whakapapa of Bill is from the ariki lines of Ngāti Porou. He was always a model to all other younger Māori in the way he immaculately dressed, spoke and conducted himself.

“In the later part of his life when most people would be retired, Bill led the rejuvenation of a community-based organ called Te Rōpū Awhina ki Porirua of which he also became the chairman.

“Bill was also our kaumatua for the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency from 2014 up until his time of passing.

“As in the great traditions of Uncle Jack Wihongi, Uncle Wikuki Kingi, Uncle Bob Jackson, all of whom were fluent Māori speakers, born in their rural tribal homelands, they became champions for the second great migration of Māori peoples into the urban areas. Bill also stood for the rights of these populations to evolve their own marae and tikanga on the ongoing protection of our Māoritanga.”

Bill leaves for Whanganui today to spend a short time at Putiki Marae before his nehu at Aramoho Cemetery this afternoon.