Tarawera Eruption Legacies: A Born Destiny

Tarawera Eruption Legacies: A Born Destiny

Moura Bramley – known affectionately as Moyra or Bonnie Te Ariki Bramley (née Rameka) – was born on the anniversary of the Tarawera eruption, on 10 June 1935. She was named Moura Te Ariki after two of the villages decimated by the eruption. As a descendant of the people who inhabited these villages, her names not only commemorate those that lost their lives, but also serve as a reminder of the strength and courage of those who survived. Moyra’s great grandmother, Taima Rickett (née Te Ngahue), was heavily pregnant that fateful night, during which she carried a toddler on her back and a cast-iron kettle in hand.

In 1887, one year following the eruption, Onuku land was awarded to 421 owners of Ngāti Rangitihi. This was the one block most affected by the Tarawera eruption. After the land was returned in 1982, Moyra, a feminist of her day, became the chair of Onuku Lands Trust in 1987. She served in this role for 31 years, until 2018, and still provides guidance to the trust in her present role as Whaea o te Poari.

It seems a born destiny to be a steward of this whenua. Moyra has had the deep satisfaction of seeing Onuku land be farmed, diversified, expand and thrive for the generations to come. In 2018, the trust won the prestigious national Ahuwhenua Trophy for Māori excellence in farming and was a finalist for dry stock in 2022.

Hindsight interview with Moura Bramley and Don Stafford, 2004

Post written by Eleazar. June 2024. 

References

Onuku Maori Lands