Sir james henare biography of barack

James Clendon Tau Henare, regarded at the time of his death in 1989 as the foremost kaumatua in Taitokerau, was the son of Tau Henare, Member of Parliament for Northern Maori from 1914 to 1938.

He was born at Motatau, Bay of Islands, in 1911 and attended various schools in Taitokerau, Auckland and Wellington.

He was the first Maori to graduate with a qualification in Agriculture from a New Zealand university. In 1933 he married Rose Cherrington, a distant cousin, to whom he had been betrothed at birth. They had six children.

At the outbreak of the Second World War Sir James left his dairy farm at Motatau to join the army as a private.

He rose ultimately to become commander of the 28 Maori Batallion and took part in all major actions in North Africa and Italy. He was three times wounded and was awared the DSO in 1945.

After leading the Maori Battalion home after the war, Sir James returned to his farm at Motatau, at the same time beginning a close involvement in numerous