Rana Waitai - Early Years

Early Years

His father was Te Rangi Koroingo Te Oreore Waitai (August 1912-1989) born and died in Lower Hutt. His mother was Mavis Lillian Waitai (née Winduss) (May 1912-1997) born in Nelson and died in Lower Hutt.

Rana Waitai was the partner of Te Aroha Ann Ruru Stanton from 1966 to 1995 and they have five daughters.

Rana Waitai was a Freezing Worker at Wanganui in 1961, a Bushman in 1961 at Karioi and also a factory worker. He later became a trainee probation officer at Wellington and in 1965 joined the New Zealand Police. In 1979 Waitai was the Duty Inspector at Police National Headquarters when Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashed on Erebus. He rang Chief Superintendent Brian Davies who was at home in the evening: "We seem to have a small problem.... We have lost a DC-10 sir."

In August 1996 he was elected to the Parliament of New Zealand to represent the Te Puku O Te Whenua Maori electorate. He retired from the Police at the rank of Superintendent after 31 years.