Homman Tapsell, the visionary leader of the Otama Marere Trust kiwifruit orchard and a finalist for the prestigious Ahuwhenua Trophy, is being laid to rest today following his tangihanga at Whakaue Marae. Tapsell, described as “80 years young plus”, died on Monday after a five-year battle with cancer, having worked on his land right up until his passing.
The kaumātua (Ngāti Whakaue ki Tai) is being remembered not only for his groundbreaking work in Māori horticulture but also for an unexpected early life connection to the movie world.
Petera Tapsell, Homman’s younger brother and Chairman of Whakaue Marae, shared personal memories of the time his brother met martial arts icon, Bruce Lee, in Hong Kong. Petera recalled that Homman was managing bars in Hong Kong when he “got tied into this crowd making movies”.
Homman was asked to play a role in a film, which he did and thoroughly enjoyed, later describing Bruce Lee as a “good fulla”. His journey eventually led him from the screen to land development and growing kiwifruit on the whānau farm of Otama Marere Trust.
Legacy of the Kiwifruit Pioneer
As the manager of the Otama Marere Trust, Tapsell was the leader behind the Paengaroa-based kiwifruit orchard, which was named a finalist for the Ahuwhenua Trophy in the Excellence in Māori Horticulture award. The Trust manages 45 hectares of Māori freehold land that includes over 21 hectares of kiwifruit and avocados, as well as 6.3 hectares of protected wetlands.
His leadership was celebrated for its focus on the collective, with Petera stating, “To us, he is Otama. He’s the one who has been leading us all the way”. Tapsell emphasized that the success of the orchard was whānau driven, noting that the Trust prioritizes sponsoring tamariki into education.
We interviewed Homman last month about his whānau trust once again being named an Ahuwhenua Trophy finalist.
An Ahuwhenua judge, Rito Tapuke, arrived at Whakaue Marae to pay his respects to the leader. The Ahuwhenua Trophy competition -which Otama Marere has been a part of on two occasions- is set to announce the winner at an awards banquet in Whangārei on June 5th.
Tapsell’s dedication to the kiwifruit operation remained until his final days, and his final, powerful wish was for his whānau to “bring the trophy home, brother”. The tangihanga, which saw Te Whānau Tapsell acknowledge the passing of their kaumātua, concludes today.