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Poananga, Brian Matauru

by Henare Matauru (Pon) Poananga

Biography

I whānau mai a Brian Mātāuru Poananga i Te Papa-i-ōia (Palmerston North) i te 2 o Tīhema o te tau 1924. Ko tōna matua, ko Hēnare Mātāuru Poananga, he mokopuna tuarua nā Wikiriwhi Mātāuru, he toa rongonui nō Ngāti Porou, ko ia nei i te taha o te Karauna i te whawhaitanga ki ngā Hauhau. He rōia a Hēnare, ā, ko te ahuahunga rā ia a Āpirana Ngata. Ko te whaea o Brian ko Ātareta Pareautohe Te Mataku, ā, i tana whānautanga mai ka riro ia hai tamaiti whāngai mā te whānau o Tāmihana Te Aweawe, he whānau rongonui nō te iwi o Rangitāne. He wahine a Ātareta Tāmihana (Adelaide Thompson) e whai pānga ana hoki ki ngā rangatira o Ngāti Kauwhata, o Ngāti Raukawa me Ngāti Porou. I pakeke mai a Ātareta i roto i te Hāhi Mōmona, ā, i whiwhi ia i te tohu paetahi mō te tauhokohoko i te whare wānanga o Utā (University of Utah). E ai ki te kōrero, nā Ngata tonu ia i āta whakahau kia hoki mai ia i te Kotahitanga o Amerika, kia mārena ai i a Hēnare.

I kuraina a Poananga ki te Kura o Bainesse i Manawatū, me te Kura Māori o Hiruhārama i te Whanga-o-keno (East Cape). Ka eke atu nei ki te tau 1939, ka whai atu a Brian Poananga i tōna tuakana, i a Bruce ki te kura tuarua mō ngā taitama i Te Papa-i-ōia (Palmerston North Boys’ High School), ā, tokorua rāua i toa i ngā mahi tākaro, mātauranga hoki. I tana tau whakamutunga i te kura, i riro nā Poananga i kāpene ngā tīma tuatahi mō te tākaro whutupaoro me te tākaro kirikiti. I rite ia ki ōna mātua, arā, ko tō te rangatira purotu, ā, rata noa ai te tangata i te hānga pū o te whakaaro me te ātaahua o tōna tuakiri. Tāpiri atu ki tēnā, ko te ū ahakoa pēhea, ā, he pakari hoki te tinana.

He tamariki rawa nō Poananga i kore ai i whakaaetia tana whakamātautanga ki te uru atu ki te tauārangi roera o Aotearoa (Royal New Zealand Air Force), arā, he tama ia i te kura tonu, tekau mā rima noa te pakeke. E toru tau i muri mai, i te mōhiotanga o Poananga he kāpō tae kē nei te mate o ōna kanohi, waihoki kia kore e rahua tana whakaakoranga hai āpiha tauira, i runga tonu i te āwhina mai a tana tuahine, a Honōria, i tahuri tana ako i te momo takoto o te rārangi tae mō te whakamātautau kanohi. I runga i te tono a Ngata kia whai wāhi atu te Māori ki te kaupapa whakaako āpiha tauira, i whakaurua atu a Bruce – ko ia te tuatahi – i te tau 1943 me Brian – ko ia te tuarua – i te tau 1944 ki te kāreti hōia a te Karauna o Ahitereiria (Royal Military College of Australia) i Duntroon.

I a rāua (he mea tapa nei ko ‘Pō nui’ (‘Big Pō’) me ‘Pō paku’ (‘Little Pō’) i Duntroon, i ngana kaha rāua ki ngā mahi tākaro. Kāore he tangata i tua atu i a Brian Poananga i ngā tau e toru mō ngā whakataetae mekemeke o te wehenga taumaha. Tāpiri atu ki tēnā, ko ia anō te kanohi o Duntroon mō te whutupaoro, mō te kirikiti me te poitūkohu. Nō te tau 1945 ki 1946 i kōwhiria ngātahitia ngā Poananga mō te tīma whutupaoro o te rohe o te tāone matua o Ahitereiria (Australian Capital Territory). I tana putanga mai i Duntroon i te tau 1946, ka uru atu a Poananga ki te ope taua Jayforce i Hapanihi, he rūtene nei tōna tūranga. I te tīmata, i raro ia i te whakahaere a tōna tuakana, a Bruce, i te Matua D (D Squadron) i te takiwā o Hikari. Nō muri mai i whai tūranga ia i Ozuki, i Yamaguchi me Tokyo. I uru anō hoki ia ki te tīma whutupaoro me te tīma kirikiti o te ope taua o Aotearoa, ā, ko ia anō hoki te toa o ngā ope taua katoa i Hapanihi mō te mekemeke, arā, mō te hunga māmā. I a ia i Hapanihi, ka tūtaki ia ki a Doreen Mary Porter, he āpiha nēhi nō te ope taua o Peretānia. I mārena rāua i Te Papa-i-ōia i te 28 o Mei o te tau 1949.

He āpiha ā-rohe nei a Poananga i Whanganui i tana hokinga mai ki Aotearoa, ā, i whānau mai ki reira tana tama mātāmua. I muri mai i āna mahi i ētahi tūranga whakahaere, tūranga whakaako, ka tonoa atu ia ki Kōrea, he kāpene tōna tūranga. Ko te tikanga o tana haere he whakaū i te taha tuku ope tānga atu ka kotahi ai rātau ko te Tōpūtanga Iwi. Ko tana tūranga tuatahi i tana taenga atu ki reira, he āpiha whakahaere mō te tari matua o te whare tuatahi o te Tōpūtanga Iwi (First Commonwealth Division HQ), ā, nō muri mai, nō te marama o Hune o te tau 1952, i whakawhitia atu a ia ki te matua tuatoru a te Karauna o Ahitereiria (Third Royal Australian Regiment). Nā tana āhei ki te mahi tautīaki, i uru atu tōna īngoa ki ngā rongo kōrero a te ope taua.

I tana hokinga mai ki Aotearoa i Maehe o te tau 1953, ka whakatūria ia hai āpiha taituarā mō te hokowhitu tuatahi o te matua o Hauraki (First Battalion, Hauraki Regiment), i Tauranga rā te papa. Nāwai ā, ka tonoa atu a ia ki te matua o Te Tai Tokerau (Northland Regiment) i Whāngārei, kāore i rerekē te tūranga, hai whakakapi mō Bruce. I tana nohonga ake i Whāngārei, e whakataetae tonu ana ia i te tākaro whutupaoro me te kirikiti, ka tīmata tana tākaro korowha; ā pau noa ōna rā, tākaro tonu ai. I tēnei wā, kua whai tama, tamāhine atu anō hoki rāua ko tana hoa rangatira. Nō te tau 1954 ka whai atu tōna whānau i a ia ki tana tūranga hou hai āpiha taituarā ā-rohe i te kōmihana matua o Aotearoa (New Zealand High Commission) i Rānana (London).

I te tau 1957, ka uru atu a Poananga ki te kāreti mō ngā āpiha whakahaere i Camberley – he karahipi nei tāna – ko ia rā te mea pai rawa atu o ngā kaiwhakauru katoa o Aotearoa mō taua karahipi mō taua tau. Nō Āperira o te tau 1958 i whakatūria a ia hai kaitohutohu matua i te kura tātai (Tactical School) o te puni hōia o Waiōuru (Waiōuru Camp). Nō te tau o muri iho, nā runga i te pōwhiri mai a te ope taua o te Kotahitanga o Amerika (United States Army) i haere atu ia hai manuhiri ki te hui a ANZUS i Hawai’i. Taihoa ake i taua tau anō, ka riro i a ia te whakahaere o Kamupene B o te hokowhitu tuarua o te matua o Aotearoa (B Company, 2nd Battalion, New Zealand Regiment), ā, ko tana tūranga i tēnei wā he meiha. I whakatauria te papa o te hokowhitu nei ki Taiping i te takiwā o Perak i te whenua o Mareia. Ka hia marama a ia e ārahi ana i tana ope i ngā wāhi tuarangaranga katoa o te waoku i te raki o Mareia. Nā ēnei mahi āna, ka ūhia a ia ki te tohu MBE. I te wā nei, he mea hanga mai e ia he momo whawhai ko ia nei te tohunga mō ērā tū mahi, arā, ki te kōkiri i te hunga e whawhana ana, me pēhea te whawhai i rō waoku. He mea tirotiro e ia te āhua o te kawe aha noa mā runga waka rererangi, te whawhai haere i te pō, me te whakaara parahau ki te waoku. Nā ēnei whakapau kaha āna, i pū ai te rongo o Kamupene B he rōpū tino toa. Nā ōna tātai tohunga me ana tuhituhinga mō ngā mahi hōia ka noho hai pūtake mō ngā pukapuka whakaako me pēhea te kōkiri i te hoariri whawhana, i kitea nei te tino hua o ēnei whakaakoranga e te ope taua o Aotearoa i Borneo, ā, whai mai i tērā, i Whitināmu.

Nō te tau 1961 i whakatūria a Poananga hai āpiha tohutohu tianara i te tari matua o te ope taua i Pōneke (Wellington). I hoki anō ia ki Ingarangi i te tau 1964 mō tētahi wā poto ki te kāreti mō ngā āpiha whakahaere o ngā momo taua katoa, kātahi ka whakahokia mai anō ia ki te tari matua o te ope taua i Pōneke mō tētahi wā poto nei, hai tumuaki mō te wāhanga whakahaere tangata. Ko tana tūranga i konei, he rūtene kānara. I whakatūria a ia hai kaiwhakahaere mō te hokowhitu tuatahi o te matua hōia a te Karauna o Aotearoa (Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment), ka hoki atu ia me te hokowhitu nei ki Marēhia i te tau 1965. I Borneo, i te riri whakaanga atu ki te hunga whakatuma me te whakaekenga o Initonīhia, ka huri a Poananga ki te whakatinana i ngā rauhanga he mea waihanga e ia i Kōrea me Mareia ki te raki; whakahuatia ana anō tōna īngoa i ngā rongo kōrero mō te ope taua.

I ngā whakahaerenga tahi a ngā hōia o te Tōpūtanga Iwi, nā runga i te rerekē o te whakamahi a Poananga i ana tāngata me ana mīhini, i tōtika mārika ai te ope taua o Aotearoa. Pārekareka rawa atu ki a ia te nukarau i ana hoa tauwhāinga (mēnā ko ngā ope o Peretānia kātahi ka pai kē atu), ka hoahoa nei ia i ngā kaupapa manganga kia rahua e ia te ‘hoariri’, kia mahue ko ia e ahu whakamua ana.

I haere a Poananga ki te whenua tū wehe o Whitināmu i te tau 1966 ki te titiro menā e pai ana te tuku atu i ngā hōia o Aotearoa ki reira. Ko ngā hōia tuatahi o Aotearoa i whakawhitia atu ki Whitināmu i te tau 1967, he mea āta kōwhiriwhiri mai i tōna hokowhitu. Nā tana kakama, nā tana hiringa me tana whakauru āhuatanga hou, i poto noa te wā e whakataka ana i te ope taua ki te haere. Mō āna mahi nei i Borneo me Marēhia, i ūhia a Poananga ki te tohu OBE.

Nō tana hokinga mai ki Aotearoa i te tau 1968, ka whakatūria a Poananga hai kaiwhakahaere mō ngā mahi whakangungu, whakahaere tauira atu hoki, i te tari matua o te Manatū Ārai Hoariri (Defence HQ) i Pōneke. I tēnei wā, i whakahaerea e ia tētahi hui me tētahi hāereere nei mō SEATO, ko te kaupapa he whakaako i te āhua o te kōkiri i te hunga whawhana. Nō muri i whakatūria a ia hai kaiwhakahaere mō ngā ratonga mōhiotanga i te tari o te Manatū Kaupapa Waonga (Ministry of Defence). I te ekenga atu ki Hune o te tau 1970, kua kānara tūturu ia, ka riro i a ia te whakahaere o te wāhi whakaako kaitā rawa atu o te ope taua, arā, o te rōpū whakangungu a te ope taua (Army Training Group) i Waiōuru. I noho ia i te tūranga nei tae noa ki te paunga o te tau 1972, ā, kātahi ia ka haere atu ki te kāreti a te Karauna mō ngā akoranga waonga (Royal College of Defence Studies) i Rānana.

I tana kakenga atu hai pirikitea i te tau 1974, ka tonoa a ia e te Pirimia, e Norman Kirk, kia noho hai māngai mō te rōpū takawaenga tuatahi a te kāwanatanga i haere atu nei i Aotearoa ki Papua Nūkini. I tutuki mārika i a ia te mahi whakatakoto i tētahi hononga tata i waenganui i Papua Nūkini me Aotearoa, i runga i te pakari o te hoahoa ake me te mahi tahi a rātou mā, i te taha o ngā tino māngai o taua whenua, haere ake nei, haere ake nei.

I te tutukitanga o tana mīhana takawaenga i Noema o te tau 1976, ka whakatūria a Poananga hai tumuaki tuarua mō te kāhui āpiha. Ka tae nei ki te tau 1978, ka riro i a ia te tūranga tumuaki, ko tōna tūnga nei he meiha tianara. Ko Poananga te tangata Māori tuatahi i eke ki tēnei tūranga tiketike rawa atu. Nāna te ope taua i ārahi i te wā i whakarerekētia nuitia te haere o ngā mahi, ā, i ngana kaha ia kia piri ake ngā hononga i waenganui i ngā hōia tūturu, hōia harangotengote me te iwi whānui hoki.

Nō te tau 1981 i whakatā ai a Poananga, ā, ka haere, ka noho i tana pāmu tia i Taupō. I tētahi komiti uiui ia i te tau 1985, he tirotiro nei te mahi i ngā kaupapa wawao. I tua atu i tēnā he wā poto nei ia he kānara hōnore nei mō te matua hōia a te Karauna o Aotearoa. Tērā tētahi wā, i āta whiriwhiria ko ia hai kāwana tianara, ēngari nō te tau 1988 i kitea kua pāngia kētia ia e te mate hinengaro nei o Alzheimer (Alzheimer’s Disease). Ka noho ka roa a ia e pāngia ana e te mate nei, ā, nō te 5 o Hepetema o te tau 1995 i hinga atu a ia i Taupō. I tanumia a ia ki tā te kawa hōnore nui mō te hōia, ki te urupā whānau i Tūrangarāhui, e pātata atu rā ki Ruatōria (Rua-a-Tōrea rānei) i te Whanga-o-keno. I tangihia a ia e tana pouaru, e ā rāua tamariki me ngā kanohi anō o ngā iwi tae atu ki ngā kāhui āpiha o te ope taua. Nō te tau 1997, i kohaina atu e Bruce Poananga tētahi tokotoko ki te kāreti hōia a te Karauna o Ahitereiria, hai taonga whakanui i tana teina. Ko te tikanga, me ka puta he kaupapa e pā ana ki Aotearoa, kātahi ka haria ake e te ngārahu te tokotoko rā hai whakatau i te kawa o ngā whakahaere.


He whakaaturanga anō

Rārangi pukapuka

    Obit. Evening Post. 7 Sept. 1995: 5

    Soutar, M., ed. Hiruharama School centennial, 1895–1995. Hiruharama, 1995


Me pēnei te tohu i te whārangi:

Henare Matauru (Pon) Poananga. 'Poananga, Brian Matauru', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 2000, updated o Māehe, 2020. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/biographies/5p32/poananga-brian-matauru (accessed 30 March 2024)