Ralph Love
Encyclopedia
Sir Makere Rangiatea "Ralph" Love, QSO
, JP
(16 September 1907 - 22 August 1994) was a Māori public servant and leader of Te Āti Awa
.
He was born at Homebush on Arapawa Island
, Queen Charlotte Sound
. His parents belonged to senior families of Te Āti Awa
, Taranaki and Ngati Ruanui
, with connections to most of the iwi of Taranaki, Wellington and the northern South Island.
Love was a direct descendant of Ngati Te Whiti and Ngati Tawhirikura chiefs who controlled Petone and Ngauranga at the time of the Treaty of Waitangi.
He was educated at Petone West School and Petone District High School. His father arranged for him to join the Native Trust Office
as a cadet in 1925. Soon after, he became a clerk in the Native Department
.
On 6 May 1933 married Flora Heberley, the daughter of carver Thomas "Tamati" Heberley . They had daughter, Marie Nui Te He, and a son, Ralph Heberley Ngatata
.
When the Second World War broke out Love joined the army, but was declared medically unfit for overseas service: in 1927 he had broken ribs playing rugby and developed tuberculosis
. He served as a recruiting and liaison officer with the Māori War Effort Organisation, and in 1946 was appointed a justice of the peace
. From 1944 to 1949 he served (at first unofficially) as parliamentary private secretary
to MP and cabinet minister Sir Eruera Tirikatene
. Love was Tirikatene's private secretary again in 1957–60, and worked closely with him and his successor and daughter, Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
, for many years.
He was an active supporter of the New Zealand Labour Party
. He was also heavily involved in organising the inaugural conference of the Māori Women's Welfare League
. His work in the Native (later Māori Affairs
) Department included stints as assistant controller of social welfare, conversion officer and deputy registrar to the Māori Land Court
. He was deputy chairman of the Wellington Tenths Trust
.
In 1962 he was elected to the Wellington City Council, and became Māori welfare officer for Wellington under the Department of Māori Affairs
. In 1965 he retired from Māori Affairs and was elected to the Petone
mayoralty on a Labour Party platform. In January 1967 he lost office after being convicted of technically breaching the Local Authorities (Members’ Contracts) Act 1954 when he voted to increase his own pay. At the subsequent by-election he was re-elected mayor, holding office until October 1968.
He petitioned to have the Treaty of Waitangi
enshrined in legislation, and attempted to gain a guarantee that Māori representation in Parliament would be retained or increased. He also petitioned against proposed immigration legislation which would allow the British government to override the provision in the treaty for all the rights and privileges of British citizenship to be accorded to Māori, including the right to enter Britain. He even wrote directly to the British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher
, objecting to this change.
He died in Wellington on 30 July 1994, the tangihanga
was held at Pipitea and Te Tatau-o-te-Po marae, with the final service at St Paul's Cathedral, Wellington
.
He was knighted in 1987.
Queen's Service Order
The Queen's Service Order was established by Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, awarded by the government of New Zealand "for valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the public sector, whether in elected or...
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(16 September 1907 - 22 August 1994) was a Māori public servant and leader of Te Āti Awa
Te Ati Awa
Te Āti Awa is a Māori iwi with traditional bases in the Taranaki and Wellington regions of New Zealand. Approximately 17,000 people registered their affiliation to Te Āti Awa in 2001, with around 10,000 in Taranaki, 2,000 in Wellington and around 5,000 of unspecified regional location.-Geographical...
.
He was born at Homebush on Arapawa Island
Arapawa Island
Arapawa Island is a small island located in the Marlborough Sounds, at the north east tip of the South Island of New Zealand.The island has a land area of...
, Queen Charlotte Sound
Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand
Queen Charlotte Sound is the easternmost of the main sounds of the Marlborough Sounds, in New Zealand's South Island. It is, like the other sounds, a drowned river valley , and like the majority of its neighbours it runs southwest to northeast before joining Cook Strait.The town of Picton, the...
. His parents belonged to senior families of Te Āti Awa
Te Ati Awa
Te Āti Awa is a Māori iwi with traditional bases in the Taranaki and Wellington regions of New Zealand. Approximately 17,000 people registered their affiliation to Te Āti Awa in 2001, with around 10,000 in Taranaki, 2,000 in Wellington and around 5,000 of unspecified regional location.-Geographical...
, Taranaki and Ngati Ruanui
Ngati Ruanui
Ngāti Ruanui is a Māori iwi traditionally based in the Taranaki region of New Zealand. In the 2006 census, 7,035 people claimed affiliation to the iwi. However, most members now live outside the traditional areas of the iwi.-Early history:...
, with connections to most of the iwi of Taranaki, Wellington and the northern South Island.
Love was a direct descendant of Ngati Te Whiti and Ngati Tawhirikura chiefs who controlled Petone and Ngauranga at the time of the Treaty of Waitangi.
He was educated at Petone West School and Petone District High School. His father arranged for him to join the Native Trust Office
Te Puni Kokiri
Te Puni Kōkiri is a New Zealand Public Sector Department responsible for Māori public policy and policy affecting Māori.The department, called TPK for short, reports to the Minister of Māori Affairs...
as a cadet in 1925. Soon after, he became a clerk in the Native Department
Te Puni Kokiri
Te Puni Kōkiri is a New Zealand Public Sector Department responsible for Māori public policy and policy affecting Māori.The department, called TPK for short, reports to the Minister of Māori Affairs...
.
On 6 May 1933 married Flora Heberley, the daughter of carver Thomas "Tamati" Heberley . They had daughter, Marie Nui Te He, and a son, Ralph Heberley Ngatata
Ngatata Love
Sir Ralph Herberley "Ngatata" Love, GNZM, QSO, JP, is a New Zealand Treaty of Waitangi negotiator, academic and Māori leader. Love is a Professor of Business Development at Victoria University of Wellington's Victoria Management School....
.
When the Second World War broke out Love joined the army, but was declared medically unfit for overseas service: in 1927 he had broken ribs playing rugby and developed tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. He served as a recruiting and liaison officer with the Māori War Effort Organisation, and in 1946 was appointed a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. From 1944 to 1949 he served (at first unofficially) as parliamentary private secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to MP and cabinet minister Sir Eruera Tirikatene
Eruera Tirikatene
Sir Eruera Tihema Te Aika Tirikatene, KCMG was a New Zealand Māori politician of the Ngai Tahu tribe. Known in early life as Edward James Te Aika Tregerthen, he was the first Ratana Member of Parliament and was elected in a by-election for Southern Maori in June 1932 after the death of Tuiti...
. Love was Tirikatene's private secretary again in 1957–60, and worked closely with him and his successor and daughter, Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
Tini "Whetu" Marama Tirikatene-Sullivan, ONZ was a New Zealand politician. She was an MP from 1967 to 1996, representing the Labour Party. At the time of her retirement, she was the second longest-serving MP in Parliament, being in her tenth term of office...
, for many years.
He was an active supporter of the New Zealand Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
. He was also heavily involved in organising the inaugural conference of the Māori Women's Welfare League
Māori Women's Welfare League
The Māori Women’s Welfare League or Te Rōpū Wāhine Māori Toko I te Ora is a New Zealand welfare organisation focusing on Māori women and children...
. His work in the Native (later Māori Affairs
Te Puni Kokiri
Te Puni Kōkiri is a New Zealand Public Sector Department responsible for Māori public policy and policy affecting Māori.The department, called TPK for short, reports to the Minister of Māori Affairs...
) Department included stints as assistant controller of social welfare, conversion officer and deputy registrar to the Māori Land Court
Maori Land Court
The Māori Land Court is the specialist court in New Zealand that hears matters relating to Māori land.The Māori Land Court was established in 1865 as the Native Land Court. In 1954, the name was changed to the Māori Land Court...
. He was deputy chairman of the Wellington Tenths Trust
Te Ati Awa
Te Āti Awa is a Māori iwi with traditional bases in the Taranaki and Wellington regions of New Zealand. Approximately 17,000 people registered their affiliation to Te Āti Awa in 2001, with around 10,000 in Taranaki, 2,000 in Wellington and around 5,000 of unspecified regional location.-Geographical...
.
In 1962 he was elected to the Wellington City Council, and became Māori welfare officer for Wellington under the Department of Māori Affairs
Te Puni Kokiri
Te Puni Kōkiri is a New Zealand Public Sector Department responsible for Māori public policy and policy affecting Māori.The department, called TPK for short, reports to the Minister of Māori Affairs...
. In 1965 he retired from Māori Affairs and was elected to the Petone
Petone
Petone is a major suburb of the city of Lower Hutt in New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the narrow triangular plain of the Hutt River, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour...
mayoralty on a Labour Party platform. In January 1967 he lost office after being convicted of technically breaching the Local Authorities (Members’ Contracts) Act 1954 when he voted to increase his own pay. At the subsequent by-election he was re-elected mayor, holding office until October 1968.
He petitioned to have the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
enshrined in legislation, and attempted to gain a guarantee that Māori representation in Parliament would be retained or increased. He also petitioned against proposed immigration legislation which would allow the British government to override the provision in the treaty for all the rights and privileges of British citizenship to be accorded to Māori, including the right to enter Britain. He even wrote directly to the British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, objecting to this change.
He died in Wellington on 30 July 1994, the tangihanga
Tangihanga
Tangihanga, or more commonly, Tangi, is a Māori funeral rite.Each iwi differs on how they honour those who pass. Tangihanga generally take three days with burial on the third day. From the moment of death, the tūpāpaku is rarely alone. The tūpāpaku is transported to the marae...
was held at Pipitea and Te Tatau-o-te-Po marae, with the final service at St Paul's Cathedral, Wellington
Wellington Cathedral of Saint Paul
This article relates to the Anglican Cathedral of Wellington. For the two other Wellington Cathedrals see: Sacred Heart Cathedral and Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary thumb|View of the chancel...
.
He was knighted in 1987.