Tuheka Taonui Hetet, born in Otorohanga, enlisted at Avondale Training Camp, Auckland, November 14, 1914, age 24. Interview with grandson John Hetet, in Grey Lynn, Auckland.

One of the myths, or it may not have been a myth, that came out of the family memory of Tuheka in Gallipoli was that he was wounded and he was probably also gassed. There was no gas in Gallipoli if I remember correctly but he did suffer along with all the soldiers from flies. When they arrived at Anzac Cove the weather was very hot. Through the large number of flies many of the soldiers ended up with bad dysentery. In September 1915, after two months at Gallipoli, because of illness he was sent to Mudros and on 11 September admitted to St David's Hospital in Malta. By December he was back in Egypt preparing to be shipped to France in April 1916 and preparation for the conflict in Flanders where he would see further action and possible exposure to gas warfare.

It was in France that Tuheka would endure his next armed conflict in deadly trench warfare. It is possible that he was gassed as per the family mythology. Once again conditions in the trenches weren't particularly good. He got very ill and in July 1916 was taken to the NZ General Hospital in Brockenhurst, England, for treatment.

In 1917, for Tuheka's family at home in Oparure, it is clear that Rangimārie (his wife) and her young family were struggling to keep food on the table and applied to the NZ Military for a child's allowance. It is not clear if any funds were forthcoming.

My father Steve said Tuheka was a changed man when he came back from the war. He found him to be a hard taskmaster. It is well known that the former soldiers gathered together and turned to the bottle for solace. Nevertheless, it's not always an easy time for families whose men have experienced the trauma of warfare. You see it today, where some soldiers become very hard to live with upon their return and they come back to be a burden, on the families, their wives and children.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Who was Louis Hetet, the man who gave generations of King Country Ngati Maniapoto Maori their surname?

We are all agreed that we know very little about the man himself, other than a rich oral collection of family anecdotes and what has been written about him in numerous New Zealand publications including the government’s online encyclopedia Te Ara, which says: "Louis Hetet was a French settler who married a Maniapoto woman. He first visited New Zealand around 1835 on a whaling ship and returned in 1842 to settle at Paripari (near Te Kūiti). He married Te Rangituatahi, the daughter of the influential Maniapoto chief, Taonui Hīkaka. They had four children: George Ngātai, John Taonui, Henry Matengaro, and Mere Te Wai." Te Ara’s information may be based on James Cowan, Settlers and Pioneers (1940). Craig, South of the Aukati Line (1962), describes Louis Hetet as a Huguenot, as other scholars do, following him, such as Tony Ballantyne and Brian Moloughney in: Disputed Histories; Imagining New Zealand’s Pasts (2006) and more recently Judith Binney in: Stories Without End: Essays 1975 – 2010 (2010). In contrast, Trevor Bentley (1999) describes him more accurately as ‘The Ngāti Maniapoto Pakeha Maori’. From here onwards of course the Hetet family tree is history, thanks to the admirable work of Te Muri Turner who has painstakingly retraced the diverse family connections of all of those who had their roots in the union of Mata Rangituatahi with the Pakeha Louis Hetet. Louis Hetet's own roots, however, have remained in the dark until recently The emergence of original documents has now helped us correct some of the myths that are in circulation about Louis. So let us start at the beginning.

Ngā mihi

This research was carried out by Sybille Hetet (John’s wife) for whom we are truly grateful. This is a fascinating and enjoyable read whanau

Louis Hetet - Link

This medal is rare and highly regarded as recognition of exceptional character, courage and strength. It is the Croix/Cross: Chevalier de l' Ordre Royal et Militaire de Saint-Louis was awarded to Joseph Louis Marie Hetet .

Joseph Louis Marie Hétet

Birthdate: December 05, 1778

Birthplace: Brest, Finistere, Bretagne, France

Death: April 07, 1860 (81)

Brest, Finistere, Bretagne, France

Immediate Family:

Son of Jean François Hétet and Marie Jaquette Hétet

Husband of Mary Hètet and Marie Perrine Céleste Hétet

Father of Louis Hétet; Célestin Louis Hétet; Marie Henriette Hetet and Clementine Barbe Hetet

Brother of Jean Vincent Joseph Hétet; Jean Baptiste Hétet and Jeanne Victoire Hétet

LINK to Profile

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.