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Hero image for Pioneer Women - Hera Ngoungou

Pioneer Women - Hera Ngoungou

Television (Full Length) – 1983

This episode in the Pioneer Women series dramatised the story of Hera Ngoungou. In 1874 in Taranaki, Māori kidnapped an eight-year-old Pākehā girl — Caroline “Queenie” Perrett — possibly in retribution for her father breaking a tapu. Her family didn’t see her again until she was 60, when she was a grandmother and had spent more than 50 years living with, and identifying as, Māori. A moving (Feltex award-winning) performance from Ginette McDonald (aka Lyn of Tawa) mixes stoicism with an acknowledgement of good times and a sense of loss for what might have been.

I’ve known a lot of hardship but I’ve known a lot of love as well.
– Hera Ngoungou (Ginette McDonald)

Key Cast & Crew

Profile image for Ginette McDonald

Ginette McDonald

As: Hera Ngoungou

Profile image for Pamela Meekings-Stewart

Pamela Meekings-Stewart

Producer, Director

Profile image for Jane Galletly

Jane Galletly

Writer

Generic Profile image for Roy Wesney

Roy Wesney

As: Frank Moncur

Generic Profile image for Rangimoana Taylor

Rangimoana Taylor

As: Ngoungou

Generic Profile image for John Tahu

John Tahu

As: Ewa Ngaru

See all 23 credits

Acknowledgements

NZ On Screen acknowledges the talent and creatives for allowing NZ On Screen to reproduce this title on this website.

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