Story: Health practitioners

Māui Pōmare, around 1911

Māui Pōmare, around 1911

Māui Pōmare was the first Māori medical doctor. He graduated in the US in 1899 and practised in New Zealand. He became a Māori officer of health in 1901 and toured Māori districts in this role, advising people about public health. He was concerned about living conditions of Māori, and burned 1,900 deserted whare in three years because he saw them as a health risk. Pōmare became a member of Parliament in 1911 and was minister of health in the 1920s.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: 1/1-012109-G
Photograph by W. A. Collis

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Allison Kirkman, 'Health practitioners - Māori and Pacific health practitioners', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/28345/maui-pomare-around-1911 (accessed 23 April 2024)

Story by Allison Kirkman, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 23 Apr 2018