TOMOANA, HENARE (d. 1904) was a chief of Ngati-Hori, a sub-tribe of Ngati-Kahungunu. He was called Tomoana, meaning 'to drag the sea' on account of the dragging of the sea coast in the search for the body of Tiakitai (q.v.). Tomoana's father was Te Hira, and his mother Te Rotohenga, both of whom were taken prisoners at Te Pakake and carried off to Waikato. While there they were married and had two children, Tomoana and Te Uamairangi. By a previous marriage, with Tini-kirunga, Te Rotohenga had two sons: Takamoana (q.v.) and Te Meihana.

Henare Tomoana was consistently friendly to the pakeha. When the Hauhau rising first threatened to invade Hawkes Bay he offered his services to the Government and received the rank of captain in the forces. In the later stages of the Te Kooti rising he pushed on with 120 Ngati-Kahungunu and occupied the old Tauranga pa on the edge of Lake Taupo (6 Sep 1869). There he was attacked by Te Kooti and sustained an anxious siege for two days, when Te Kooti withdrew to Tokaanu, driving off the horses of the friendlies and seizing most of their stores. The besieged lived on horse flesh part of the time. Tomoana afterwards took part in the fight at Porere, where Te Kooti was finally defeated in the field. He received a sword of honour from the Queen for his services. He was a progressive-minded man and a leading member of the Kotahitanga movement, attending most of the Maori conferences in the hope of consolidating the feeling in favour of self-government, under the Treaty of Waitangi and against land-selling. Two meetings of the Maori Parliament were held at Waitapu, Hastings (1892-93).

Tomoana was member for the Eastern Maori in 1879-84 (defeating Henare Matua and Hans Tapsell at both elections). He was Native member without portfolio of Sir John Hall's executive in 1879. In 1884 he was defeated by Wi Pere (q.v.). In 1898 he was called to the Legislative Council, of which he was still a member at the time of his death (20 Feb 1904). Tomoana was given a public funeral at which the mourners included the Prime Minister (Seddon), Sir William Russell and Sir James Carroll.

N.Z.P.D., 1879-84, 1898-1904 (notably 28 Jun 1904); J. H. Grace and P. T. Tomoana (information); Lambert (p); Cowan.

Portrait: Parliament.

Reference: Volume 2, page 199

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