TE RETIMA PORAUMATI

Te Ao Hou, July 1956, Page 3

TE RETIMA PORAUMATI Te Retima Poraumati, a well-known Arawa, recently died at the Rotorua Hospital. He was 56 years of age. Mr Poraumati had spent a lifetime dealing with major welfare problems of the Maori race. As a housing officer of the Maori Affairs Department he had a wide and helpful contact with his people. He received his primary school education at Rotorua and later attended St Stephen's College in Auckland before going on to Te Aute College. In 1917 he left college to enlist in the armed forces, when he was only 16. On his return he was appointed secretary of the local branch of the R.S.A. until he joined the Maori Affairs Department in the early 1920's. He was a member of the Arawa Trust Board for several years and also chairman of the Mokoia Trust Board, was a foundation member of the Arawa Returned Servicemen's League and over a period of years held every official position in that organisation. He was also a member of the Hereheretau World War I Maori Soldiers' Trust Board, chairman of the Arawa branch of the National Party, secretary of the Arawa tribal football team and an executive member of the Rotorua Rugby sub-union. Mr Poraumati who was a son-in-law of the late Tai Mitchell, is survived by his wife, six sons, two daughters and three grand-children.