Edward Pohau Ellison (26 November 1884 – 9 November 1963), generally known as Ned Ellison and also as Pohau Erihana, was a New Zealand rugby player, doctor, and public health administrator.

Biography

Ellison was born in

Waikanae Waikanae (, ) is a town on the Kapiti Coast, 60 kilometres north of the Wellington CBD. The name is a Māori word meaning "waters" (''wai'') "of the grey mullet". The town lies between Paraparaumu, eight kilometres to the southwest, and Ō ...

, New Zealand, on 26 November 1884. Of

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

descent, he identified with the

Ngai Tahu Ngai (also called Múrungu or Enkai) is the monolithic Supreme God in the spirituality of the Kikuyu (or Gikuyu) and the closely related Embu, Meru and Kamba groups of Kenya, and the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania. Ngai is creator of the universe ...

and Te Ati Awa

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori culture, Māori society. In Māori-language, Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and ...

. Ellison attended

Te Aute College Te Aute College ( Māori: Te Kura o Te Aute) is a school in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. It opened in 1854 with twelve pupils under Samuel Williams, an Anglican missionary, and nephew and son-in-law of Bishop William Williams. It has ...

and qualified as a physician at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

. In 1919 he was appointed Medical Officer and Deputy Resident Commissioner in

Niue Niue (, ; niu, Niuē) is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand. Niue's land area is about and its population, predominantly Polynesian, was about 1,600 in 2016. Niue is located in a triangle between Tong ...

, later earning promotion to the post of Resident Commissioner. He subsequently moved to the

Chatham Islands The Chatham Islands ( ) ( Moriori: ''Rēkohu'', 'Misty Sun'; mi, Wharekauri) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island. They are administered as part of New Zealand. The archipelago consists of about t ...

as Medical Officer and Resident Magistrate, before becoming Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Resident Commissioner of the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , langu ...

in 1925. He returned to New Zealand in 1926 to become Director of Maori Hygiene, but returned to the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , langu ...

in 1930. In 1935, Ellison was awarded the

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver J ...

. He was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in the 1038 New Year Honours.O.B.E. for Cook Is. Medical Officer
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', January 1938, pp15–16 Ellison retired in 1946 and returned to New Zealand.Retirement of Cook Is. Medical Chief
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', January 1946, p9

References

1884 births 1963 deaths New Zealand medical administrators Ngāi Tahu people Te Āti Awa people New Zealand Māori rugby union players New Zealand Māori public servants People educated at Te Aute College University of Otago alumni New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Waikanae New Zealand public health doctors Ellison family Sportspeople from the Wellington Region {{NewZealand-med-bio-stub