Wira Gardiner
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Harawira "Wira" Tiri Gardiner, KNZM
(born 1945) is a former professional soldier, senior public servant and writer. He is Maori and his tribal affiliations are Ngati Awa
, Ngati Pikiao, Whakatohea and Te Whanau-a-Apanui
.
and his tertiary education at the University of Canterbury
(BA
) and at King's College, University of London
(MA
War Studies).
Gardiner is married to National MP
Hekia Parata
. They have two children together and Gardiner has three other children from a previous marriage to former MP
Pauline Gardiner
.
as a professional soldier. He saw active service in South Vietnam
. He retired from the Army in 1983 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
.
, and deputy chairman of Te Ohu Kaimoana, the trust responsible for advancing the interests of iwi in the development of fisheries. He is the fourth ministerial appointee to the Council of Te Wananga o Aotearoa
, and is deputy chair of council at Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi.
Gardiner has been appointed Chair of the Tertiary Education Commission for a term of three years in May 2010 and he was appointed Chair of the Board of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
in November 2010.
He was made a Knight of the New Zealand Order of Merit
in 2008 for his services to Maori.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
(born 1945) is a former professional soldier, senior public servant and writer. He is Maori and his tribal affiliations are Ngati Awa
Ngati Awa
Ngāti Awa is a Māori iwi centred in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand.Ngāti Awa comprises 22 hapu , with 15,258 people claiming affiliation to the iwi in 2006. The Ngāti Awa people are primarily located in towns on the Rangitaiki Plain, including Whakatane, Kawerau, Edgecumbe, Te...
, Ngati Pikiao, Whakatohea and Te Whanau-a-Apanui
Te Whanau-a-Apanui
Te Whānau-ā-Apanui is a Māori iwi located in the eastern Bay of Plenty and East Coast regions of New Zealand's North Island. In 2006, the iwi registered 11,808 members, representing 13 hapu.-Early history:Apanui Ringamutu is the founding ancestor of the iwi...
.
Early life and personal
He received his secondary education in WhakataneWhakatane
Whakatane is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region, in the North Island of New Zealand, and is the seat of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Whakatane is 90 km east of Tauranga and 89 km north-east of Rotorua, at the mouth of the Whakatane River.The town has a population of , with...
and his tertiary education at the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
(BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
) and at King's College, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
(MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
War Studies).
Gardiner is married to National MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Hekia Parata
Hekia Parata
Hon. Hekia Parata, Lady Gardiner is a New Zealand politician and member of the New Zealand House of Representatives, having been elected to parliament in the 2008 general election...
. They have two children together and Gardiner has three other children from a previous marriage to former MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Pauline Gardiner
Pauline Gardiner
Pauline Gardiner is a former New Zealand politician.-Member of Parliament:Gardiner was a member of parliament from 1993 to 1996, representing first the National Party and then United New Zealand...
.
Military Career
For twenty years Gardiner served in the New Zealand ArmyNew Zealand Army
The New Zealand Army , is the land component of the New Zealand Defence Force and comprises around 4,500 Regular Force personnel, 2,000 Territorial Force personnel and 500 civilians. Formerly the New Zealand Military Forces, the current name was adopted around 1946...
as a professional soldier. He saw active service in South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. He retired from the Army in 1983 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
.
Public Service
Gardiner's public service career spanned 12 years from 1983-1995. During that time he was founding director of the Waitangi Tribunal, the founding (and only) General Manager of the Iwi Transition Agency and the founding chief executive of the Ministry of Maori Development (Te Puni Kokiri). He has also been National Director of Civil Defence, Chair of Te Mangai PahoTe Mangai Paho
Te Māngai Pāho is a New Zealand Crown Entity responsible for promotion of Māori language and culture by providing funding for Māori language programming on radio and television....
, and deputy chairman of Te Ohu Kaimoana, the trust responsible for advancing the interests of iwi in the development of fisheries. He is the fourth ministerial appointee to the Council of Te Wananga o Aotearoa
Te Wananga o Aotearoa
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is a tertiary education provider, specifically a wānanga, in New Zealand. The organisation was established to improve the social and economic wellbeing of those who had previously had negative experiences with the secondary education system...
, and is deputy chair of council at Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi.
Gardiner has been appointed Chair of the Tertiary Education Commission for a term of three years in May 2010 and he was appointed Chair of the Board of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
in November 2010.
He was made a Knight of the New Zealand Order of Merit
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
in 2008 for his services to Maori.
Selected bibliography of works by Wira Gardiner
- Race Relations And The Treaty: A Framework, Annual Peace Lecture, 1989.
- Te Mura O Te Ahi: The Story Of The Maori, Raupo, 1992.
- Te Mura o Te Ahi: The Story of the Maori Battalion, Raupo Publishing, 1995.
- Return to Sender: What Really Happened at the Fiscal Envelope Hui, Raupo, 1996.
- Haka: A Living Tradition, Hachette, 2002, 2007, 2010.
- Haka: Unique New Zealand, Hachette, 2007.