Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith announced yesterday Edward Ellison, ONZM, would be filling the roles.
"Edward is a highly respected chair who will bring a wealth of governance and cultural experience to these roles.
"I am confident he will be a perfect fit for role on the council and board, which have responsibilities for historic places and areas of spiritual, cultural and historical significance for Māori."
Mr Ellison wears a lot of different hats in the Dunedin community — he was one of the kaumātua who played a key role as a Treaty negotiator in Kāi Tahu’s Treaty claim against the Crown, is a kaitiaki of ancestral land passed down from the prominent southern Māori chiefs Te Matenga Taiaroa and Karetai and he is also a sheep farmer on Otago Peninsula on his ancestral land at Ōtākou.
Since the issue of land titles, he is the fourth generation to farm the land of his ancestors, which had been part of the Maori Reserve.
His off-farm commitments included being chairman of the New Zealand Conservation Authority.
Mr Goldsmith said Mr Ellison had been a part of numerous boards over the years, with a common theme of protecting and promoting Māori heritage, which earned him a New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015.
Between 2006 to 2011, he was part of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust and worked closely with southern regional authorities as a Regional Management Act adviser.
In the past, he also served on the South East Marine Protection Forum and the Otago University council.
Recently he was the upoko (head) of Ōtākou Rūnaka, a presiding member of the New Zealand Lotteries oranga marae committee and policy committee member for the Otago Regional Council.
Mr Ellison’s new role will see him take over the duties from Sir John Clarke, who has filled the role since 2014.
"[Sir John] has been incredibly influential in his services to Māori and heritage preservation throughout his career, which earned him a knighthood in 2018," Mr Goldsmith said.
