Eruera Tirikatene
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The Honourable Sir Eruera Tirikatene KCMG |
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Tirikatene in c.1945
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| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Southern Maori |
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In office 3 August 1932 – 11 January 1967 |
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| Preceded by | Tuiti Makitanara |
| Succeeded by | Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
5 January 1895 Te Rakiwhakaputa pā, Kaiapoi, New Zealand |
| Died | 11 January 1967 (aged 72) Kaiapoi, New Zealand |
| Spouse(s) | Ruti Matekino Solomon |
| Relations |
Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan (daughter) Rino Tirikatene (grandson) |
| Children | 12 |
Sir Eruera Tihema Te Aika Tirikatene KCMG (5 January 1895 – 11 January 1967) was a New Zealand Māori politician of the Ngai Tahu tribe. Known in early life as Edward James Te Aika Tregerthen, he was the first Ratana Member of Parliament and was elected in a by-election for Southern Maori in June 1932 after the death of Tuiti Makitanara.
He remained the MP until his death in 1967, when his daughter Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan succeeded to the seat, also in a by-election.
After education at St Stephen's Anglican Church, Tirikatene worked on farms before enlisting in 1914 for the First World War. He served three years with the New Zealand Māori (Pioneer) Battalion, reaching the rank of sergeant and commended for carrying a wounded soldier while under fire.
In 1919, he was married to Ruti Matekino Solomon and the couple went on to have twelve children. In the same year, he settled on a small farm near Kaiapoi, where he also set up a dairy farm, a saw mill, a fishing fleet and a ferry service.
By 1921 he visited Ratana pā, and T. W. Ratana, the spiritual leader or Te Mangai of Ratana predicted an important role for him. Te Mangai persuaded him to stay, and with his practical skills, served the movement by taking charge of harvesting of the Ratana lands.
As the Ratana movement developed into a political movement, Eruera Tirikatene became a leader in the internal political council and stood for parliament in the 1928 and 1931 elections, being defeated narrowly in both. In 1928 he and most of his extended family spent the election at Ratana Pa helping with the wheat harvest. At the time there were few provisions for absentee voting, and unable to even vote for himself, Tirikatene lost the election by one vote.
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