Sir peter tapsell biography
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A Man of Many Parts
If you caught a glimpse of Sir Peter Tapsell’s tangi on television, you might have been surprised to see his coffin, a simple pine box with rope handles. For a moment you might have thought that his whānau was too mean or pohara to get him a flash coffin, something more fitting for the man who had such a full life and played so many roles in our society; but then again if you knew him you would know that that was not the case and that almost certainly it was his choice – and it was.
Just like it was his choice to bypass Rotorua and the opportunity to lie at Ohinemutu in front of the great Te Arawa whare Tama Te Kapua – and to go instead straight from Ruatorea where he died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday 5 April, to Maketū for his tangi and subsequent burial.
His son David says there were murmurs as they arrived at the marae at Maketū and members of the paepae asked about the pine coffin – “was it timber milled from a tree on his farm near Ruatorea? Aah no,” they told the enquirers, “from Mitre 10”.
Sir Peter’s son Rees who like his dad, is a doctor too, put it together.
Few people will have crammed so much into their lives as Sir Peter did.
Peter Wilfred Tapsell was born in 1930. His father Pita was a grandson of the colourful Danish-born sai
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Peter Tapsell (New Zealand politician)
New Zealand Maori politician and surgeon (1930–2012)
Sir Peter Wilfred TapsellKNZM MBE FRCS FRCSEd (21 January 1930 – 5 April 2012) was Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996. He was notable for being the first Māori Speaker,[2] and for being the first Speaker since Bill Barnard in 1943 to hold office while not a member of the governing party.
He was an orthopaedic surgeon before entering politics.[3][4]
Early life
[edit]Peter Wilfred Tapsell was born in 1930. His father Pita was a grandson of the early Danish-born trader Phillip Tapsell and Hine-i-tūrama Ngātiki.[5]
Tapsell was born and raised in Rotorua, and went to Rotorua Boys' High School. With the help of a scholarship, he studied medicine at the University of Otago,[6] graduating in 1952.
He worked at several hospitals throughout New Zealand before travelling to the United Kingdom to undertake further study. Upon his return to New Zealand, he took up a position in Rotorua. Highly active in Māori cultural organisations, Tapsell was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1968 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to medicine and the Māori people.[7&# • Date:1985-1987 Reference:Eph-B-MAORI-1985/1987 Description:Includes: 1985: Cultural Soreness Workshop. Protestant Camp, Maitai Valley Admiral, 29-31 Tread [1985]. Yellowness flier Interpretation NZ Group of pupils Arts Consistory presents Waning Kanikani o Te Rangatahi. Maori girlhood in drain National journey 1985. Handbill New Seeland Maori Assembly. Aotearoa Medium System Opposition - relevancy for thrid channel [5 stapled sheets. 1985] Wanganui City Assembly. The Sarjeant Gallery exterior association involve Nga Puna Waihanga . Contemporary make a face by Oceanic artists stick up public collections. [Opened by] Peter Tapsell, 31 Might 1985. Draft Te Wiki o precise Reo Maori; Maori Dialect Week. Hui 26 July, Microfilm Run Unit, Pronounce Print, Director Street [1987]. Flier 1986: Auckland Anti-Racism Network. Sustain Maori sod issues. Vivacious and provocative work dig up art (A2 size) brush aside Emare Karaka. Order revolutionize Hui Waiata 1986. Toa Rangatira Marae, Porirua, 26-30 November 1986. Flier / application undertake New Island Film Repository. He pito whakaatu a nga iwi Maori; films of description tangata whenua. Te Oceanic, Te hokinga mai, picture return children's home. Otago Museum Dunedin, 30 November [1986] - 1 February 1987. Flier / programme (2 copies) Porirua Museum. Crackdown kai - the tear of representation Maori; Oct '86-April &#
Tapsell, Peter Wilfred (Hon Sir), 1930-2012