TUPAEA, HORI (? 1800-81), a chief of Ngai-te-Rangi, was the son of Te Waru (q.v.). He was of the highest Maori lineage, his ancestors having arrived in the canoe Matatua. Tupaea's immediate people were the Whanau-a-Ngai-Taiwhao. His relationships with Waikato on the one hand and Ngati-Awa on the other were very influential. Henry Williams records having visited him at Otumoetai pa, Tauranga, in 1826. In 1832, following the Ngapuhi raid of Te Haramiti on the islands in Bay of Plenty, Tupaea and Waharoa led a strong fleet of canoes from Tauranga and surprised him at Motiti, annihilating him and taking utu for the Ngapuhi invasions. On 6 May 1836, when in garrison at Te Tumu, Tupaea was besieged by 1,600 of the Ngati-Whakaue. Several assaults were delivered in the early morning and many Ngai-te-Rangi (including seven chiefs) were killed and many taken prisoners. Tupaea, who was wounded, was the only surviving chief; he escaped to the coast. Though having a reputation as an inveterate cannibal, Tupaea was consistently friendly to the pakeha until the Hauhau war. Hoping then to join hands with the Hauhau, he marched south with a small force (Feb 1865), but was intercepted and captured by Ngati-Pikiao at Lake Rotoiti, and brought back to Tauranga a prisoner. While he was in captivity the murder of Volkner occurred. Patara, the Hauhau leader, offered the Rev. T. S. Grace (q.v.) in exchange for Tupaea, who was being kept prisoner in Auckland. He escaped from Kawau later. Though as late as 1870 Tupaea was still a Hauhau and very reserved he was friendly to the whites and undertook to protect the civil population against the later incursions of Te Kooti. In 1878 he visited Wellington to consult with John Bryce regarding the Mercury Bay difficulty. In later years he lived quietly with his hapu at Rangiwhaea, where he died on 26 Jan 1881. His wife was a chieftainess of the Tapuika hapu of Arawa.

His son, AKUHATA TUPAEA (1839-94), owing to his high lineage and fine character, was educated under the guidance of Sir George Grey in the native school at Tauranga. He then travelled widely throughout New Zealand. In 1872 he dug at the Kingite border the first sod of the telegraph line from Auckland to the south. In 1878 he was appointed assessor. He succeeded his father as paramount chief of Ngai-te-Rangi, and presided over the native meeting to consider matters affecting the Maori race. He died on 5 Mar 1894.

S. P. Smith, Wars; Grace; J. A. Wilson, Te Waharoa; Cowan, Wars, ii; Tapsell (p); Bay of Plenty Times, 27 Jan, 1 Feb 1881; N.Z. Herald, 17 Mar 1894 (p).

Reference: Volume 2, page 204

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