Wednesday 20 November 2013

Pokarekare Ana


Pōkarekare ana, ngā wai o Waiapu
Whiti atu koe hine, marino ana e

(The waves are breaking, against the shores of Waiapu,  My heart is aching, for your return my love.)


This moving song, probably written by a homesick Maori soldier during World War One, tells of longing for home and loved ones. For Puri Tea Aperahama, known as Edwin Abraham, this longing was made even more poignant as not only had he left his homeland to study in Australia and then to serve in the war on the Western Front, but during his absence his mother and sister had died of tuberculosis and their deaths troubled him greatly.





 War memorial in Edwin Abraham’s home town of Taihape, New Zealand. He is not listed on the memorial, of course, because he served with the AIF.
(Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 15 July 2013. Image courtesy R.J. Levy, Secretary/Treasurer, Taihape RSA.




41 Private Edwin Abraham (Puri Tea Aperahama) was born in Taihape, New Zealand in about 1894. He was a Maori, who had a ‘splendid record’, according to the authorities when he enlisted at Liverpool, New South Wales on 28 October 1914. He was a student at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College in Richmond, NSW at the time. In addition to being well educated, the authorities recorded that he was of ‘high birth’ and ‘very well to do’.

Hawkesbury Agricultural College medallion.
Image courtesy AWM REL36559.


Private Abraham left Australia with the Army Veterinary Corps and served in France from May 1915 until May 1917 when he first showed symptoms of mental deterioration. By August 1917 he had been evacuated to England where his condition became worse.

His symptoms were described thus by staff at the Lord Derby War Hospital in Warrington, Lancashire:
He is reported as having become confused and unable to concentrate his mind, he was tremulous in limbs and tongue and cannot help twitching … He can answer questions for a time but soon shows mental exhaustion.

And again:
Patient is sometimes rigid and at other times liable to twitching. In talking he is rational at first and then inclined to wander. Deep reflexes are well marked. His condition resembles that of marked physical and mental exhaustion. He at present keeps his eyes shut and his head hanging down and is very difficult to extract any information from.

He was returned to Australia in October 1917 with dementia praecox and admitted to the Military Mental Hospital (at the Royal Park Mental Hospital). When his physical condition deteriorated in January 1918, he was moved to the 5th Australian General Hospital in St Kilda Road, Melbourne, where he died of tubercular peritonitis, pneumonia, toxaemia and exhaustion. He was only 23 years old.


Coburg Cemetery Gates, c.1908.
Image courtesy Coburg Historical Society


Pte Abraham was given a military funeral and was buried at Coburg Cemetery in Melbourne’s northern suburbs on 19 January 1918. By the time of his death, his next-of-kin, his sister Mrs Te Ure Manas McTaggart (surname shown as Aperahama in a letter from The Public Trust, New Zealand dated 23/6/1921 in his service record) of Taihape was also dead. He left his estate to her son Peter Manao McTaggart and daughters Puna Manao McTaggart and Heni Kusa McTaggart. His nephew also received his war medals.

I have tried to find the McTaggart children through an extensive Internet search, but with no success. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I might be able to trace the family and tell them that although Edwin Abraham (Puri Tea Aperahama) is buried far from home, he is not forgotten?

I would also like to know more of his family background, especially his connection (if any) to the tribal leader Aperahama Taonui (born about 1809), whom you can read about in the Encyclopedia of New Zealand at  http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/2t7/taonui-aperahama


The Encyclopedia of New Zealand tells of how a Wesleyan missionary renamed the tribal leader Tautoru, giving him the name Aperahama (Abraham), which suggests quite strongly that Private Edwin Abraham is connected in some way to this very important figure in New Zealand history.



8 comments:

  1. I've put a query on the New Zealand mailing list, so perhaps someone there will know something.

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  2. I am a descendant of Tea Aperahama, well actually his sister Te Uru Manao McTaggart

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  3. Thank you so much for making contact. If you have anything further to add to Tea Aperahama's story, please let me know.

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  4. He is buried in Melbourne, my husbands Nan has his medals (got replica's from Australia)

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  5. Thanks for your comment. I'm glad that replicas of his medals have made their way back to New Zealand. As you can see above, he was buried at Coburg Cemetery (in Melbourne's northern suburbs) and has not been forgotten.

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  6. Hi, I have been researching the men from Hawkesbury Ag College who went to world war one and it concerns me that this young man still lies in Coburg far from his home. I recently obtained photos of his grave and would be happy to send them to relatives - maybe yourself Te Uru Manao McTaggart - please contact me via allaloneinoz@hotmail.com ? Peter Lister, Sydney, Australia

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  7. Hi I have been trying to find my whanau, I am the child of Alistair Mctaggart of Christchurch...he has asked for no contact which is fine I want to find my Tupuna. I know nothing of my Mctaggart side and would so love to know more. I understand a link to the Whale family also which connects to My mother is Marilyn Vreede nee Bennett. I recognise the name Edwin Abraham TEA as it is also the name of my Koros brother uncle Edwin TEA Bennett who passed away in the 80s. My koros name was Tony Bennett. Pretty sure they were born in Taihape ways. I also named my son Ricki TEA after him. So I believe I have found a link on both my parents sides through this Tupuna here. Tena koutou. Anymore information I would gladly so appreciate my heart is about to burst. Kia ora

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  8. Thanks for making contact. I'm afraid I can't help you with your search. My interest is in my local area - Coburg - and I have no information beyond what you see here. Your best chance of finding the information you want is in New Zealand. Good luck.

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