Tūroa Royal
Tūroa Kiniwe Royal ( QSO ED D.Litt. (Hon) MA MEdAdmin DipTchg ) is a Māori educationist. Born in 1935, Royal dedicated his long career to improving Māori educational achievement and was involved in numerous innovations in New Zealand education utilising aspects of Māori culture, language and ideas. He was a teacher at Tāmaki College, Auckland, a Department of Education Inspector of Māori and Island Education, and principal of Wellington High School for eight years. Educational institutes he was part of founding are Whitireia Polytechnic in Porirua north of Wellington and Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa in Ōtaki. He was also heavily involved in the establishment of the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium. Early life Tūroa Royal was born on the 28th of January 1935, at Waimangō Point, on the Firth of Thames, just north of Kaiaua. His parents were Robert Haunui Tukumana Royal of Ngāti Whanaunga, Ngāti Tamaterā and Ngāti Raukawa. His mother was Meri Te Oi Tamehana of Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Hine. One of Royal’s siblings was Wiremu Taurau Royal, the first registered Māori architect. Royal grew up on the family farm, a remnant block within the lands of his Ngāti Whanaunga people. The block was first converted into a farm