Edward Ellison

Edward Ellison (Ōtākou, Ngāi Tahu) is an Ōtākou farmer and kaumātua who played a key role as a Treaty negotiator in Ngāi Tahu’s Treaty claim against the Crown. He is kaitiaki of ancestral land passed down from the prominent southern Māori chiefs Matenga Taiaroa and Karetai.

Edward has a broad understanding of Ngāi Tahu’s connection to the land, environment and resources of Te Waipounamu and has given Ngāi Tahu a voice on conservation issues since the early 1990s.

Edward has an extensive history in governance. Edward was appointed to the Otago Conservation Board and then served on the New Zealand Conservation Authority until 2004. He served on the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust from 2006 to 2011 and has worked closely with southern regional authorities as a Regional Management Act advisor and more recently as a Commissioner. Previously, Edward also served on the South East Marine Protection Forum and the Otago University Council. Currently he is Upoko for Ōtākou Rūnaka, Chair for the New Zealand Conservation Authority, Presiding Member for New Zealand Lotteries Oranga Marae Committee and Policy Committee Member for the Otago Regional Council.

Edward was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to Māori and conservation in 2015.