Hera Katene-Horvath - 'Aunty Dovey'

Biography

BiographyBorn in Wellington in 1912, Hera Katene-Horvath was fondly known as 'Aunty Dovey'. From the time she was a baby, Hera was known as "Dovey" because her father often called her "My Little Dove".

Aunty Dovey was of Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Tama, Te Āti Awa, Te Rarawa and Ngāti Whātua descent, and was educated at Te Waipounamu Maori Girls' College in Christchurch. She undertook wartime factory work making Army bottles.

Aunty Dovey became interested in Māori heritage through her involvement with the Ngāti Pōneke cultural group in Wellington, and went on to compose many award-winning waiata.

She was a founding member of Ōrongomai Marae, and for many years president of the Māwai Hakona Māori Cultural Association; the group won the 1973 New Zealand Māori cultural competitions, and was invited to perform at the opening of the Sydney Opera House.
Their items included some of her compositions.

Her well-known waiata included 'Hoea-Ra', adapted by Rolf Harris and sung on television and twice before the Queen, and 'Te Ra Pouri', a traditional lament for Labour Prime Minister Norman Kirk.

She was awarded a Queen's Service Order in 1978 for outstanding contribution to Māoridom in culture, song, and dance. When she moved to live at Takapūwāhia, Porirua, she began to compose for the New Zealand Maori Chorale, moving away from songs of action and welcome, for marae and competitions; Tapuhi, a lament for a niece, was one example.

Aunty Dovey died in Porirua on January 27, 1987; an obituary appeared in the 'Leader' on February 3.

Aunty Dovey has a street named after her which is located in Wallaceville, Upper Hutt. "Dovey Katene Horvath Street" is the main public road into the "Urban Precinct" of Wallaceville Estate off Alexander Road. The development was in its final stages in April 2025. The developer, Wallaceville Developments Limited, together with Ōrongomai Marae, provided the name. The submission was put forward to recognise Aunty Dovey's service to the communtiy as a founding member of Ōrongomai Marae, and for many years President and Leader of the Māwai Hakona Māori Cultural Association. LINZ advised that a hyphenated name "Katene-Horvath" was not accepted, however Ōrongomai Marae confirmed that using a space instead of a hyphen was suitable. Names of significance to Ōrongomai Marae had been used in Wallaceville Estate in the past and as such, this name followed one of the identified themes in this area (Council Meeting Road Naming Report 13 December 2023). Last edited by: Don McLeod