Our People

Hiwi Tauroa invited and led the first Māori Friendship Delegation to China in 1984 with the purpose of facilitating cross-cultural exchange experiences between Māori people and the people of China. In 2001 The China Māori Friendship Charitable Trust was formalised to continue his vision.

Hiwi was supported in this endeavour by his wife Pat and together they hosted many exchange delegations. Over the years each of the Tauroa children has become involved in Chin-Māo and today Chin-Māo is largely a whanau driven organisation.

Hiwi Tauroa - Patron

Edward Te Rangihiwinui (Hiwi) Tauroa CMG - better known as Hiwi Tauroa was born in Okaiawa, Taranaki and is of Nga Puhi, Ngati Kahu and Ngai Tahu descent. He was educated at Waima and Okaiawa Primary Schools and Hawera Technical High School and later attended Massey University, graduating in 1950 with a Bachelor in Agricultural Science, one of only two Māori, at that time, to achieve the qualification. He graduated as a teacher from Ardmore Training College. Hiwi embarked on a career as a secondary school teacher and in 1965 became vice-principal, then Principal at Wesley College in 1969 - the first Māori to hold that position.

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Patricia Tauroa

Patricia Tauroa ONZM (nee Wilson) is of Nga Puhi and Ngati Kahu descent and was born at home in Otangaroa. She attended Otangaroa Native School, Kaeo Primary and Kaeo Dsitrict High School. After her marriage to Hiwi she studied part time at Auckland University and also undertook extra mural study through Massey University. Her studies enabled her to commence teaching roles at both Wesley College and Tuakau College. She was also active in both schools in the auxiliary roles of Librarian and Tuck Shop Manager.

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Danny Tauroa

Eldest son Danny has taken up the mantle of Deputy Chairperson of Chin-Māo and works diligently to nurture existing links while continuing to promote future exchange projects. Danny worked for several years as Fitter/Turner – Fitter/Welder at Waiuku steel mill. After leaving employment there he eventually found his niche with the New Zealand Probation Service where he has worked for the past seven years. For three years his role was as Senior Probation Officer managing the re-integration and rehabilitation of young offenders back into their respective communities whilst reducing their likelihood of reoffending.

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Friendship Delegations

one-third The delegations are reciprocal in nature and currently operate bi-annually (one year we host a delegation from China and the next the Chinese host a New Zealand Māori delegation) and we make every effort to organise exchanges to suit the interests of the participants.
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Rewi Alley

one-third Rewi Alley, a New Zealander, came to China in 1927. Sharing wealth and woe with the Chinese people, he devoted 60 years of his life to Chinese people’s cause of liberation and construction. In the 1930s, he joined an international Marxist-Leninist group in Shanghai and wrote many articles publicizing the Chinese people’s resistance against Japanese aggressors. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, he took an active part in and was one of the sponsors of the Chinese Industrial Cooperative Movement that became a unique economic force that emerged by organizing the unemployed workers and refugees into production and survival and in support of the Resistance War. After the founding of New China, he dedicated his efforts to safeguard world peace and the cause of friendship among the peoples of the world, making important contributions to developing friendship between the Chinese people and the people of New Zealand and other countries.

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