Korokī Mahuta

King Korokī
King Korokī
	Māori King
Māori King
Reign	8 October 1933 – 18 May 1966
Coronation	8 October 1933
Predecessor	Te Rata
Successor	Te Atairangikaahu
Born	Korokī Te Rata Mahuta Tāwhiao Pōtatau Te Wherowhero; 16 June 1906; Waahi, Huntly
Died	18 May 1966 (aged 59)
Spouse	Te Atairangikaahu Hērangi
Father	Te Rata
Mother	Te Uranga Matai

Korokī Te Rata Mahuta Tāwhiao Pōtatau Te Wherowhero (16 June 1906 – 18 May 1966) was the fifth Māori King. He was the elder son of the fourth Māori King, Te Rata Mahuta, and Te Uranga Matai of the Ngāti Korokī tribe. He was named Korokī after the ancestor of his mother's tribe.[1]

Biography

Korokī was born at Waahi, Huntly, on 16 June 1906. He had a younger brother Taipu, who died in 1924,[2] shortly after arriving at Wesley College.[1]

Korokī had a relationship with Te Paea Raihe, probably in the 1920s, and they had two daughters. In about 1930 Te Puea Herangi arranged for him to marry her niece Te Atairangikaahu, the daughter of her brother Wanakore Herangi. Te Atairangikaahu had a daughter, Piki, born in 1931. They adopted a son, Robert Mahuta, in 1939. Korokī and his family lived at Waahi.[1]

Korokī's father died on 1 October 1933, when Korokī was just 24.[2] He was chosen to succeed his father as king and accepted reluctantly. He was crowned on 8 October 1933, the day of his father's funeral.[1]

In his first few years as king, he was closely supervised by his father's brothers Tumate and Tonga Mahuta, and Haunui Tawhiao, brother of his grandfather King Mahuta. Two of his main confidants and supporters were Pei Te Hurinui Jones and Piri Poutapu.[1] On 30 December 1953 he received Queen Elizabeth II when she called at his official residence at Tūrangawaewae marae at Ngāruawāhia during the coronation tour.

He died at Ngāruawāhia on 18 May 1966 and was buried on Mount Taupiri on 23 May. He was succeeded by Piki, who was given her mother's name of Te Atairangikaahu at her coronation.

References

Ballara, Angela. "Koroki Te Rata Mahuta Tawhiao Potatau Te Wherowhero 1908/1909? - 1966". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
Ballara, Angela (1 September 2010). "Te Rata Mahuta Potatau Te Wherowhero". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 13 May 2012.

Māori royalty
Preceded by Te Rata	Māori King 1933 – 1966	Succeeded by Te Atairangikaahu

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[DNZB_Koroki-1] Ballara, Angela. "Koroki Te Rata Mahuta Tawhiao Potatau Te Wherowhero 1908/1909? - 1966". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 4 April 2011.

[DNZB_Te_Rata-2] Ballara, Angela (1 September 2010). "Te Rata Mahuta Potatau Te Wherowhero". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 13 May 2012.