Story of my life

My name is Rose. I was born in Wellington and have always lived here. I am part Maori and part Pakeha.

On my father’s side my iwi is Ngapuhi. I do not know a lot about my father's family because my grandmother, who knew most of the history about them, died not long before I was born. My grandmother’s name was Te Aroha. She was born in the Bay of Islands in 1924, and married my grandfather Tauahika. He was also from the Bay of Islands, and was born in 1917. They had a large family, of which my father was the youngest. He was born in Rawene in 1955, and was raised in the Bay of Islands and other parts of the North Island. He also lived in England and Australia before settling in Wellington in the early 1980s.

On the other side of my family my grandmother’s parents, James and Elizabeth, were born in Ireland and came by ship to New Zealand as infants in the early 1900s. My Grandad's father Tom was born in England and came to New Zealand in 1910. My Grandad’s mother Nita was born in New Zealand in 1903.

My grandparents on this side were both born in Wellington. My grandfather, Alan, grew up in Lyall Bay, and my grandmother Noeleen grew up in Houghton Bay. They met and married, then moved to other areas of New Zealand for work, before returning to Wellington 1973. They have lived here since.

My mum was born in Waihi and moved to Wellington with my grandparents when she was a teenager. She met my father in Wellington and they married in 1988. They had two children - my brother Adam in 1994, and me in 1998.