Tame Parata

Tame Parata (c. 1837 – 6 March 1917), also known as Thomas Pratt, was a Māori and a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.

New Zealand Parliament

Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1885–1887	9th	Southern Maori			Independent
1887–1890	10th	Southern Maori			Independent
1890–1893	11th	Southern Maori			Liberal
1893–1896	12th	Southern Maori			Liberal
1896–1899	13th	Southern Maori			Liberal
1899–1902	14th	Southern Maori			Liberal
1902–1905	15th	Southern Maori			Liberal
1905–1908	16th	Southern Maori			Liberal
1908–1911	17th	Southern Maori			Liberal

The Honourable Tame Parata
Parata, c. 1888
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Southern Maori
In office 1885–1911
Preceded by	Hōri Kerei Taiaroa
Succeeded by	Taare Parata
Personal details
Born	c.1837 Ruapuke Island, New Zealand
Died	(1917-03-06)6 March 1917 Puketeraki, near Karitane, New Zealand
Spouse	Peti Hurene (Elizabeth Brown)
Children	Taare Parata Ned Parata
Relatives	Hekia Parata (great-great-granddaughter)

Parata was born on Ruapuke Island in Foveaux Strait.^[1] His father was a Captain Trapp, a whaler from Massachusetts, and his mother was Koroteke of the Ngāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe and Waitaha iwi (tribes). It is said that Tame reversed his father's name to Pratt, and transliterated it to Parata in Māori.^[2]

He won the Southern Maori electorate in the 1885 by-election after the resignation of Hōri Kerei Taiaroa, and held it to 1911, when he retired; he was succeeded in the electorate by his youngest son, Taare Parata.^[3][4] Subsequently, on 13 June 1912 Parata Sr was appointed to the New Zealand Legislative Council, where he sat until he died on 6 March 1917.^[5][2] Hekia Parata, a former member of Parliament, is his great-great-granddaughter.^[6] New Zealand academic and playwright John Broughton is his great-grandson.