December 11, 2023
Bill Kaua servant of church and people
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Bill Kaua, who became an Anglican priest on retirement after decades as a leading public servant, has died.
Mr Kaua had connections with Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau ā Mahaki, Ngāti Horowai, Te Aitanga-ā-Hauiti, Rongowhakaata, Ngā Tāmanuhiri, Te Aitanga-ā-Māhaki, Ruapani, Ngāti Kahungunu, and Ngāti Rakaipaaka.
The first half of his career was spent as a traffic officer in Palmerston North and Rotorua, and with the Department of Māori Affairs, where he was Wellington district manager when the organisation was wound up in 1989.
He went on to senior roles in the Ministry of Education, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust.
Friend and former race relations commissioner Meng Foon says he made an outstanding contribution to the nation, which was acknowledged when he was made an Officer of the Order of NZ Merit in 2018 for services to Māori, education and the state,
“His love was to his faith – wherever you go uncle was here to support the Pareha, the Hahi Mihinare so just an awesome guy and we will miss ko whakapoukaha to nga mahi mā tātou ,” Mr Foon says.
Wiremu Kaua is lying at Horouta Marae in Porirua.
He will leave for Whanganui tomorrow morning to spend a short time at Putiki Marae before his nehu at Aramoho Cemetery on Tuesday afternoon.