OLD IDENTITY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 442, 28 January 1933, Page 5

OLD IDENTITY

Our Own Correspondent)„

DEATH OF TAMI TE KURUPAE AT ' TAUPO

(From

Taupo, Friday. One of the most picturescqie figur'es among the qlder nativps of ihe 'district passed away at Taupo thjs week with the death of Tami te J£urupae^at the age of 76 Years. ' Tamati was known to a great proportion of the many thoqsands of 'visitors who have passed through Taupo and was regarded as a Jopal authority on fishing conditions qpd matters of native- history and intepest. * He was a f amiliar figure in the environs of the township carryipg his carved walking stick -and puffing at his pjpe. The old man had almQst identified himself with Taupo and his funeral which took place on Tuesday was the largest which has been held in the district. It was attended not only by a large number of members of his own and neighbouring tribes, but by j representatives of practically. evqry Palceba family in the district together with a large number of tourists. As a boy the deceased was adopted by the late Mrs. T. B. No]bei, who'w^s at the time in charge of the canteen at the military pqst at Qpipi. ^As a youth in his teens, Tamati was a 'spegr tator of the massacre whip|i . Iater took place at this spot when an $ttack was made by hostile natiyes. Later, when Mrs. Nolsel tqojc over the old Taupo hotel, Tamati accompanied her, and worked abpfft thp hotel as a lcitchen boy. The deceased held ipterests ijt) eral large areas of land and qpe pf these was taken over fropi him by one of the afforestation coippppiqs. He was pre-depeased by his 5Vife and se.ven of his faniily of ejght children; the only surviying membpr jfs a son, Hemahema Tamati Te i^nrT upae who is still residing in the Taupo district. Despite his advanced years, the old Maori was of a yigorous constitution and shortly before his death had b§en engaged in ro-wing a boat on the lake. He had a never failing fund of an'e.cdote and information upon local -conditions and fishing prospects and year by year he repewed his acquaiptanceship with the rpgular visitors to Taupo.