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.{{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}} 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.[http://anglican.org.nz/content/download/50400/254201/file/2019%20Lectionary%20.pdf ACANZP Lectionary, 2019] (p. 145)
Biography
Muru Walters was born in Kaitaia. He affiliated to the Te Rarawa and Te Aupōuri iwi. 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.penguin.co.nz/authors/muru-walters |title=Muru Walters |publisher=Penguin Books |accessdate=30 January 2020}} 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.{{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}} He was later a lecturer in Māori Studies at St John's Theological College in Auckland.{{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}} In October 2020, Walters was made a Life Fellow of Selwyn College Dunedin.{{Cite web|url=https://www.anglicantaonga.org.nz/news/tikanga_maori/selwyn_muruw|title = Anglican Taonga : New Zealand's Anglican News Leader}}
Walters died at his home in Mangawhai on 14 February 2024, at the age of 89.{{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}}{{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}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{s-bef | before = Bill Gray}}
{{s-ttl | title = Tom French Memorial
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: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:University of Otago alumni
Category:Rugby union fullbacks
Category:Northland rugby union players
Category:Poverty Bay rugby union players
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{{Anglican-bishop-stub}}
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