Mr ORIWA TAHUPOTIKI HADDON

Te Ao Hou, October 1958, Page 3

Mr ORIWA TAHUPOTIKI HADDON Mr Oriwa Tahupotiki Haddon passed away in Taihape last June after a car accident. Born 64 years ago in Taranaki he was the son of a well-known Methodist clergyman, the Rev. Tahupotiki Haddon, and a direct descendant of the chief Titokowaru who opposed British settlement in that district. As a young man he was ordained a minister of the Methodist Church, but subsequently became a qualified pharmaceutical chemist. When a young man he was invited to the United States to join the Chautauqua circuit and remained in that country for some years. On his return to New Zealand Mr Haddon became closely identified with the Ratana movement, and for some time was secretary to his relative, the late Mr W. T. Ratana, who established the sect. Mr Haddon also became one of the best known broadcasters in the country, speaking on Maori history, mythology and poetry. Being a brilliant marae speaker, he was subsequently appointed secretary and organiser for the Maori branch of the Labour Party and participated in several elections. On retiring from the political field, he settled for some years in the Nelson district, where he turned his gifts as an artist to good stead by painting murals in different hotels. Though his preference was for Polynesian subjects, he also depicted the early history of Nelson on the walls of hotels in that area. Of late, however, he had resided at Taihape.