Tarapipi Te Waharoa, 2nd son of the famous Ngati Haua chief, Te Waharoa, was a warrior in war expeditions in the Waikato and Taranaki districts. After 1835 he attended the Matamata mission station run by Alfred Brown and his wife, becoming one of their most promising pupils. In 1836 when Ngati Whakaue destroyed the mission station at Ohinemutu, he intervened on behalf of 2 mission workers leading them to safety. When Brown had to abandon the Matamata mission station. Tarapipi took over organising church services and school classes while keeping up correspondence with Brown.

In 1838, he became Chief of his tribe. He followed Brown's advice and with 200 converts left Matamata pa and set up a Christian pa named Tapiri nearby, where converts could live a Christian life. A raupo chapel was built, and on 23 June 1839 Brown baptised Tarapipi, who chose the European name of William Thompson (Wiremu Tamihana).

Tamihana arranged a peace treaty with the traditional enemies of the Ngati Haua. In 1846 he moved his Christian followers to the Peria Hills, Matamata. A settled, orderly community was established, with each house surrounded by its own plantations of wheat, maize, kumara and potatoes. There was a school, flour mill, post office, whare runanga, and a church built on top of a hill. A contemporary noted:

Every morning and evening a bell called this orderly, simple, religious people to prayers. I never saw a more charming instance of simple idyllic life, than this remarkable Maori village presented in 1856.

Tamihana concerned with how Maori were to cope with the increase in European settlement and the worst features of European culture, became part of the King movement. He had the vision of Maori and Pakeha working side by side and Maori presenting a united front, unbroken by tribal conflicts. He wanted to encourage agriculture and education for Maori and prevent the further sale or lease of Maori land. He earned the title, “kingmaker”, in the 18 months leading up to Potatau Te Wherowhero’s election as the 1st Maori king. He saw no conflict between the King movement and the English monarchy. When the Waitara dispute erupted into war, Tamihana went to Taranaki in an attempt at mediation, but was unsuccessful. War broke out in 1863. He continually tried to negotiate a settlement. He wrote many letters to colonial authorities advocating a just provision for Maori and Pakeha.

Wiremu Tamihana held unflinchingly to his faith and his vision. A diligent student of the Bible, he died with his Bible in his hand. A peacemaker who had a vision of the future ahead of his contemporaries, both Maori and Pakeha. He is usually commemorated by the church on the day of his baptism.

BORN: c.1805, Tamahere near Cambridge, New Zealand.

DIED: 27 December 1866, Turanga-o-moana near Matamata, New Zealand.