| Sir James Hēnare | |
| Birth Date: | 18 November 1911 |
| Birth Place: | Motatau, New Zealand |
| Death Place: | Kawakawa, New Zealand |
| Allegiance: | New Zealand |
| Branch: | 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force |
| Serviceyears: | 1940–1946 |
| Rank: | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Commands: | Māori Battalion (1945–46) |
| Battles: | Second World War |
| Awards: | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches |
Sir James Clendon Tau Hēnare, (18 November 1911 – 2 April 1989) was a New Zealand tribal leader, military officer, farmer and community leader. He fought for four years with the Māori Battalion during the Second World War, was wounded at El Alamein, and with the rank of lieutenant colonel was the battalion's commanding officer when the war ended.[1] He stood for Parliament for the National Party in the Northern Maori electorate on several occasions:,,,, and the 1963 by-election.[2] [3]
Of Māori descent, Hēnare identified with the Ngāpuhi iwi. He was born in Motatau, Northland, the son of Taurekareka Hēnare and Hera Paerata. He was educated at Sacred Heart College, Auckland and at Massey Agricultural College.
In the 1966 Queen's Birthday Honours, Hēnare was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the Māori people. In the 1978 New Year Honours, he was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the community, especially Māori affairs.
James was present for the landing of the historical Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa in Waitangi from its Rarotonga leg on December 1985 and the induction of its sailors as the 6th and most recent tribe of the Tai Tokerau.[4] [5]
Tau Henare, a member of parliament between 1993 and 2014, is his great-nephew. Peeni Henare, who was elected to parliament in, is a grandson.[6]
. Barry Gustafson . The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party . 1986 . Reed Methuen . Auckland . 0-474-00177-6 . 247.