OBITUARY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 99, 17 August 1943, Page 5

OBITUARY

MR HUNIA HAARE (CHARLEY) COLOURFUL TE TEIvO FIGURE In tlie death of Mr Ilunia Haaro (Charley Hunia) which occurred last week Te Te'ko Jost one of its most interesting residents. The large tangi which attended the final rites testified to the high regard in which, ha was held and also to the Avide reputation he enjoyed amongst the. tribes 011 the East Coast. Born sixty years ago,, * Charley Hunia (as he was better known) amassed what to the average Palkeha even, would be considered a substantial fortune. At the time of his death he owned a store- at Te Teko, the hall, the billiard saloon, the bakehouse and many farms in the vicinity. Not long ago lie made tlie sum of £5000 available to the Gov — ernment free of interest, as a war - gesture. As a young man he opened thefirst store in Te Teko and. traded, by boat down the Rangitaiki to Mat-» ata. He was .-known as the 'Maize* King' at one time and in the earlier days could boast possession of tht> largest cribs on the Plains. His business grew with tlie settlement'of the Rangitaiki and although he possessed a shrewed business brain, no one could ever accuse him of meanness . Indeed h.c was just the reverse. He was deeply interested in the local school and served as chairman for the past seven years. He figured in the. well remembered trip to Auckland by ,'JO Te Te'ko school children some five years ago •when he spared uothing on seeing that they saw all there was to see in their two weeks visit. He was progressive as a farmer and never stinted his money on up-? to-date agricultural machinery. He will be missed by many friends Pakelia and Maori who had come to. regard his large friendly figure witi* affection and respect.