Maureen Te Rangi
Rere I Waho Waaka née Kingi NZOM
Ngāti Whakaue | Tūhourangi | Ngāti Tūwharetoa/Ngāti Tūrumakina
Maureen was born on 5 October 1942. The fourth child of
Rhona Needham and Irikau Kingi (Waaka, 2013).
She attended Rotorua Primary and Rotorua Girls’ High School where she was a prefect. She gained School Certificate in 1958, University Entrance in 1959 and Higher Leaving in 1960 (“Miss N.Z. title”, 1962).
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| Rotorua Girls' High School. (1960). 1960 prefects, The Magazine of the Rotorua Girls' High School, 1959-60, 8 |
After leaving school Maureen went to Auckland to study radiography. While there she entered a Miss South Seas beauty contest. In June 1962 Maureen was crowned Miss New Zealand, becoming the second Māori woman to win the title after Moana Manley won in 1954.
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| Maureen Waaka (nee Kingi) 3rd from left, Miss NZ contest Dunedin, 1962, photographer Evening Star, Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa (Op-4384) |
In August Maureen travelled to California for the Miss International contest. Although the title went to Miss Australia Tania Verstak, Maureen was seen by 40 million American viewers when she was interviewed on a C.B.S coast-to-coast television network in San Francisco ("Miss New Zealand", 1962).
Following her Miss International contest Maureen did a six week modelling tour of New Zealand ("Maureen worn out", 1962) before traveling to London in November for the Miss World contest. She was eliminated in the first round ("Miss Holland chosen", 1962).
In 1963 Maureen married John Waaka. Together they have five children - John Te Kohika, Karen Te O Kahurangi, Tono Maureen Hinematioro, Teri Puarangi and Trudi Rangimawhiti (Waaka, 2013).
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| Married. (1963, September 21). Rotorua Photo News, 1, p. 30. |
For many years Maureen and John managed the concert party at the International Hotel in Froude Street. She was the inaugural president of the Māori Tourism Association and the president of the International Organisation of Folk Art (Waaka, 2013).
In 1990 Maureen was honoured with the New Zealand Commemoration Medal and in 2001 was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to tourism and community. In 2005 she won a Zonta Community Award and became a Justice of the Peace (Waaka, 2013).
Maureen was first elected to Rotorua District Council in 1989 for a three year term. She was re-elected to Council in 1998, and served as a Councillor for eighteen years until her death in 2013. She also served three terms on the Lakes District Health Board as an elected member (Martin, 2013).
During her time in Council Maureen was a member of its Iwi Protocols subcommittee, Kauae Cemetery Trust and executive committee. She was a Resource Management Act Commissioner, the chairwoman of the council's Statutory Hearings Committee, was on the Te Arawa Standing Committee, and chairwoman of the District Licensing Committee.
Maureen was a strong anti-gambling advocate and was deputy chairwoman of the Problem Gambling Foundation of Rotorua. In 2002 she led a successful campaign against plans to build a casino in Rotorua, and was often invited to speak on the issue of gambling.
She suffered a stroke on the 16 June 2013 while in Auckland. She passed away in Rotorua of complications two weeks later on 1 July (Martin, 2013).
Maureen will be remembered for her services to community.
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| Firth, C. (1962). Maureen Kingi [photograph]. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 34-K2841-1. |
This post was written by Graeme with thanks to John Waaka, Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga O Te Arawa, and Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections.
References
Martin, M. (2013, July 2). 'True champion' of Rotorua farewelled. Rotorua Daily Post, 3.
Maureen worn out. (1962, August 31). Daily Post, 1.
Miss Holland chosen Miss World. (1962, June 5). Daily Post, 1.
Miss N.Z. title to Maureen. (1962, August 25). Daily Post, 1.
Waaka, K. (2013, August-September). Maimai aroha: Maureen Kingi. Mana, 113, 8-9.
