E.S. Richards’s studio portrait of the Māori chief Eruini Te Tupe presents Eruini posed seated facing front-on to the camera arrested in time, comfortably dressed in European clothing with a kaitaka cloak arranged across his upper torso, probably by Richards. The portrait was probably taken between 1862 and 1873, the period that Richards operated his photographic business in Wellington and later in the Wairarapa.
Eruini Te Tupe-o-Tū was a Waikanae resident in the mid-19th century who is commemorated with Eruini Street in the Beach Zone.
A biography by Matiu Baker is on this page of the Te Papa blog, however, Apihaka Mack of the Ngātiawa ki Kapiti iwi comments:
“Matui Baker’s Te Papa blog is bullshit. I had his false history removed from Ora Toa walls. I confronted the Ministry of Health as he had no right to change our w’akapapa with Raukawa & Ngati Toa false history as written by Matui Baker.
“He was a Otaraua Hapu Rangatira. He is the the son of Te Tupuotū my Great Great Great Grandfather’s Pahia brother; 1st cousin to Eruini Te Marau my Granny’s Ngarongo Dad. Ngarongo married Pirikawau and Kahutatara son Hoani Tamati Pirikawau. It was common for Rangatira sons and daughters to have inter-hapu marriages in those days.
“Granny was a renowned tohunga matakite. She bought our mother up at Maungakotokutoku. Rangatira Pirikawau is Rangatira Witi Rangitaake 1st cousin. Their grandmother’s sisters, Kahutarata was daughter of Rangatira Pukerangiora.
“I approved the naming of Otaraua Park.
“Great Grandfather Eruini Temarau made sure his cousin Eruini Tetupeotu (1876), his son and daughter from his second wife got land in Ngarara in the Native Land Court in 1887.”
Wonder if he had to pay council rates or was let off?
They probably didn’t have any in those days.