posted 03 September 2001 12:41 PM         

Ranginui Walker’s biography of Apirana Ngata is to be launched on
September 22 in Ruatoria. It’s called He Tipua: The life and times of Sir Apirana Ngata.
Geoff Walker, the publishing director of Penguin, says the first print run is 3000 hardback copies - and, if there’s enough demand, there’ll be a paperback run after that.
Geoff says he’s hoping for a keen interest in the study because Apirana was such an influential political figure, and because Rangi has done such a”magnificent job” of the biography.
The task, he says, was daunting because Rangi had to be not just a biographer, but an historian and a cultural interpreter as well.
He Tipua, Geoff says, may prove to be the the most significant book Penguin has published since Judith Binney’s study of Te Kooti.

Queen Victoria

In the case of Queen Victoria School, many of the signs over the last few months, have been thatit’s doomed to close at the end of the year. But lately there have been increasing signals that tghe closure is by no means certain.
Not only has there been resistance to the closure from the school, the school board and the old girls, but there has also been resistance from the Church.
And now the Maori MPs are arguing that it’s the Church’s call - not the Government’s - whether the school should stay open. And they’re saying that if the Church has decided against closing it, its future isn’t threatened.

Bob Harvey

The mayor of Waitakere, Bob Harvey, is upbeat about the meeting last week with the Te Atatu group on the hikoi to the council to push for a marae.
Bob says all the councillors fronted up to the delegation - and now the only major issue to be resolved is where the marae should be built.
The hikoi, organised by Melba Wellington, was pressing for a 10 hectare site for the marae on the 80 hectares at Harbourview South.

TV board