Potatau

Nil satis nisi optimum – Only the Best will Do

House Director

‌ Mr Greg Wright

House Leader

Sam Hewlett

Colour

Dark Blue

Shield

The Great Eagle of the Highlands

History

• Named after Hemi Potatau
• Born 1904 at Te Mimi o Te Hiki, Nuhaka
• First Maori pupil to attend Scots College 1920-1922
• Wrote the Scots College haka
• 1st XV Rugby team, 1920-1922
• Enrolled Theological Hall, Knox College Dunedin to study for the Presbyterian ministry 1925
• Completed studies at Knox 1931
• First ordained Maori Presbyterian minister 1933
• Military service, Middle East 1941-1944 with 28th NZ Maori Battalion
• Appointed first Maori Moderator of a Presbyterian Maori Missions committee 1945-1947
• Installed as Moderator of the Maori Synod 1964
• Completed his BA at age 70
• His autobiography ‘He hokinga mahara’ was a finalist in the first Pegasus Prize for Maori Literature 1984. First autobiography to be published in Maori 1991.
• Died Wairoa 1994