Muru Walters

{{Short description|New Zealand bishop, author, artist and rugby union player (1935–2024)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2024}} {{Infobox Christian leader | honorific-prefix = {{pre-nominal styles|RRevd|size=100%}} | name = Muru Walters | honorific-suffix = | title = Te Pīhopa o Te Upoko o Te Ika | image = Muru Walters (cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = Walters in 2012 | province = Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia | diocese = Te Pīhopatanga o Te Upoko o Te Ika | term_start = 7 March 1992 | term_end = 2018 | predecessor = ''New diocese'' | successor = Wai Quayle | ordination = | consecration = | consecrated_by = | other_post = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1935|01|16|df=y}} | birth_place = Kaitaia, New Zealand | death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|02|14|1935|01|16|df=y}} | death_place = Mangawhai, New Zealand | religion = Anglicanism | spouse = | children = | alma_mater = {{ubl|Auckland Teachers' College|University of Otago}} | module = {{Infobox rugby biography | embed = yes | ru_position = Fullback | repteam1 = New Zealand Māori | repyears1 = 1956–1963 | repcaps1 = | reppoints1 = 211 | province1 = North Auckland | provinceyears1 = 1955–1963 | provincecaps1 = | provincepoints1 = | province2 = Poverty Bay | provinceyears2 = 1965 | provinceapps2 = 6 | provincepoints2 = 31 }} }} '''Muru Walters''' (16 January 1935 – 14 February 2024) was a New Zealand author, master carver, broadcaster, artist, rugby union player and Māori Anglican bishop.<ref name="Te Papa">{{cite web |url=https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/agent/5032 |title=Bishop Muru Walters |publisher=Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa |accessdate=30 January 2020}}</ref> He was the first Pīhopa (bishop) of Te Pīhopatanga o Te Upoko o Te Ika from his consecration on 7 March 1992 until his retirement in 2018.<ref name="lec19">[http://anglican.org.nz/content/download/50400/254201/file/2019%20Lectionary%20.pdf ACANZP Lectionary, 2019] (p. 145)</ref>

==Biography== Muru Walters was born in Kaitaia.<ref name=Komako/> He affiliated to the Te Rarawa and Te Aupōuri iwi.<ref name="Te Papa"/> A talented rugby player, Walters represented New Zealand Māori, and won the Tom French Cup for the Māori rugby union player of the year in 1957.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.penguin.co.nz/authors/muru-walters |title=Muru Walters |publisher=Penguin Books |accessdate=30 January 2020}}</ref> He studied at Auckland Teachers' College. After working in arts and crafts education in schools, he became a lecturer in art at Dunedin Teachers' College. In 1980, Walters completed a master's degree on Māori archaeology at the University of Otago.<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Walters |first=Muru |year=1980 |type=Masters thesis |title=An investigation of archaeology in New Zealand as a means of establishing views about the past |publisher=OUR Archive, University of Otago |hdl=10523/8863 |url=https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/handle/10523/8863}}</ref> He was later a lecturer in Māori Studies at St John's Theological College in Auckland.<ref name=Komako>{{cite web |url= https://www.komako.org.nz/person/1379 |title=Muru Walters |date= |work=Kōmako: a bibliography of writing by Māori in English |publisher=University of Canterbury |access-date=20 December 2022}}</ref> In October 2020, Walters was made a Life Fellow of Selwyn College Dunedin.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anglicantaonga.org.nz/news/tikanga_maori/selwyn_muruw|title = Anglican Taonga : New Zealand's Anglican News Leader}}</ref>

Walters died at his home in Mangawhai on 14 February 2024, at the age of 89.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2024/02/15/kua-riro-te-pihopa-tuatahi-o-te-upoko-o-te-ika/ |title=Kua riro te pīhopa tuatahi o Te Ūpoko o Te Ika |date=16 February 2024 |first=Maioha |last=Panapa |work=Te Ao Māori News |access-date=17 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://notices.nzherald.co.nz/nz/obituaries/nzherald-nz/name/muru-walters-obituary?id=54391637 |title=Muru Walters obituary |date=17 February 2024 |work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=17 February 2024}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-ach|aw}} {{s-bef | before = Bill Gray}} {{s-ttl | title = Tom French Memorial<br />Māori rugby union player of the year| years=1957}} {{s-aft | after = Pat Walsh}} {{end}}

{{Subject bar |portal1= Biography |portal2= Christianity|portal3= New Zealand}} {{Regional bishops in Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa}} {{Episcopal Units in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walters, Muru}} Category:1935 births Category:2024 deaths Category:Te Rarawa people Category:Te Aupōuri people Category:New Zealand rugby union players Category:Māori All Blacks players Category:New Zealand Māori religious leaders Category:21st-century Anglican bishops in New Zealand Category:20th-century Anglican bishops in New Zealand Category:Anglican bishops of Te Upoko o Te Ika Category:Auckland College of Education alumni Category:University of Otago alumni Category:Academic staff of the Dunedin College of Education Category:People from Kaitaia Category:Rugby union fullbacks Category:Northland rugby union players Category:Poverty Bay rugby union players