Tipene O'Regan

Who is Tipene O'Regan?

Sir Tipene O'Regan is a New Zealand academic and company director. Born Stephen Gerard O'Regan, son of Dr Rolland O'Regan and Rena Ruiha, he is a director of a wide range of South Island Maori enterprises. He is best known for his role as chairman of the Ngāi Tahu Maori Trust Board which he guided to successful land and sea fisheries claims before the Waitangi Tribunal, culminating in the Tribunal’s reports of 1991 and 1992. He later led claim settlement negotiations leading to the 1998 settlement which made extensive provision for customary rights in fisheries and other natural resources.

O'Regan is currently Associate Lecturer and Assistant Vice Chancellor at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, associated with both the history and Māori departments. He was awarded an Honorary D.Litt by the University of Canterbury in 1992. In March 2009, O'Regan was commemorated as one of the Twelve Local Heroes of Christchurch, and a bronze bust of him was unveiled outside the Christchurch Arts Centre.

In 2012 O'Regan hit the headlines after misplacing his tokotoko outside RadioNZ in Wellington. It was subsequently returned to Te Papa.