Sydney Taiwhanga

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1887–1890	10th	Northern Maori		Independent
1890	11th	Northern Maori		Independent

Hirini Rawiri Taiwhanga (c. 1832 – 27 November 1890), known as Sydney Taiwhanga, was a 19th-century Māori member of the House of Representatives.

Taiwhanga identified with the Ngāpuhi iwi. He was born in Kaikohe, Northland, New Zealand in about 1832; his father was Rawiri Taiwhanga.^[1]

He unsuccessfully contested the Western Maori electorate in the 1884 election. Of eight candidates, he came last with 5.5% of the vote.^[2] In the Western Maori 1886 by-election, he came fourth out of five candidates.^[3][4]

He represented the Northern Maori electorate from 1887 to 1890 when he died, aged about 55.^[5]

He had been re-elected in 1890 for Northern Maori, but died on election day. He also stood in Eastern Maori, and came second.^[6]

References

1. Orange, Claudia. "Hirini Rawiri Taiwhanga". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved December 2011.
2. "The Western Maori Election". Waikato Times. XXIII (1885). 5 August 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
3. "Wanganui Herald". Wanganui Herald XXI (6117). 11 January 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
4. "The Western Maori Election". The Evening Post. XXXII (191). 30 December 1886. p. 2. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
5. "Death of Sydney Taiwhanga". Poverty Bay Herald XVII (5932). 28 November 1890. p. 2.
6. Scholefield, Guy Hardy (1925) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record (2nd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 138.