Wiremu Toetoe Tumohe

1881



In 1859, Wiremu Tumohe and Te Hemara Rerehau Paraone joined the crew of the Austrian frigate Novara which visited Auckland in December 1858. In September 1859 they arrived in Austria. They spent nine months in Austria where they worked at the State Printing House in Vienna. They learnt English, German and “all branches of printing, and drawing”. Before their departure from Austria, they were presented to the German Court and were given a printing press. They were also presented to King Wilhelm 1 of Wurttemburg and to Queen Victoria. Both men kept journal records of their European travels which are reproduced in Te Ao Hou in 1958. The printing press “with its varied equipment” was used to print Te Hokioi o Nui Tireni e Rere atu na, the newspaper of the Māori King movement, which appeared in unnumbered isues from 1861-1863.

Biographical sources

  • Brookes, Walter. “Austria and the Māori People.” Te Ao Hou 24 (1958): 38-39.
  • Fletcher, John. “From the Waikato to Vienna and Back: How Two Måori Learned to Print.” Bibliographical Society of Australia and New Zealand. No details. Rpt. Tu Tangata 29 (Apr./May 1986): 44-47.

    Biography

  • "A Vienna Journal/He Whare Perehi o Te Kingi." English trans. M. Te Rotohiko Jones. Te Ao Hou 24 (1958): 40-43.
  • In this journal Tumohe describes the nine months he and Te Hemara Rerehau Paraone spent in Austria in 1859-60. He writes a detailed account of their visit to the Emperor and includes the text of his message of greetings to the Emperor. The message to the Emperor was translated into German by Herr Zimmerl who looked after Tumohe and Rerehau in Austria, and this German text is reprinted in Hochstetter’s Neu-Seeland: (528) and "The Inhabitants of Vienna" in Māori and German is repeated on pages 529-30.

    Other

  • Brookes, Walter. "Austria and the Māori People." Te Ao Hou 24 (1958): 38-39.
  • Fletcher, John. "From the Waikato to Vienna and Back: How Two Māori Learned to Print." Bibliographical Society of Australia and New Zealand. No further details. Rpt. Tu Tangata 29 (Apr./May 1986): 44-47.
  • A very detailed study of Tumohe and Rerehau’s visit to Austria in 1859-1860.