Taiwhanake (Roy) Eru Morehu, of Rotorua
Taiwhanake (Roy) Eru Morehu received the Insignia of a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori. Mr Eru Morehu is a kaumātua in the Rotorua community. He was a prominent cattle farmer for many years and is now Chairperson of a number of trusts including the Eru Nikorama Forestry and Land Trust, the Kahikatea White Pine Bush Trust, the Manupirua Geothermal Pools Trust, and the working party of the Te Ngae Farm and Nursery. He has played a major role in the settlement of Treaty of Waitangi claims. A talented musician, he toured with Sir Howard Morrison, and began Rotorua’s first licensed cabaret, the ‘Tudor Towers’ in the 1960s. Mr Eru Morehu continues to work towards making a difference in the lives of Rotorua’s Māori youth by endeavouring to instil in them a strong work ethic, pride and hope.