URU, JOHN HOPERE WHAREWITI (1868-1921) was born at Tuahiwi, Kaiapoi, and educated at Tuahiwi school and Te Aute College. Uru represented Canterbury at football and cricket, and was a captain in the North Canterbury Mounted Rifles, and a member of the Maori contingent at Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee in 1897. In 1901 he was an official delegate to the Australian Commonwealth celebrations. For some years Uru engaged in farming near Kaiapoi, and he was chairman of the Tuahiwi school committee. In 1910 he went into business in Wellington as a native land agent. On the death of Parata (q.v.) in 1918, Uru was elected member of the House of Representatives for the Southern Maori, and he sat till his death on 29 Nov 1921.

N.Z.P.D., 7 Dec 1921; Who's Who N.Z., 1908; N.Z. Times, 30 Nov 1921. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 2, page 210

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