When told of the honour in a phone call with Justice Layne Harvey and Te Runanga o Tūranganui-a-Kiwa chief executive Ronald Nepe, he could not believe it.
“I said, ‘have you got the right person? You don’t give things like this to a silly old farmer’, but they said ‘no, we have the right person’,” Dr Pardoe said. “I felt so humbled by it.”
Dr Pardoe has made many contributions to Te Ao Māori through research and stories he has written, most of which were told to him as a child by his elders.
He is an avid writer and researcher, having written a history of Pakarae Inc, Ārai Matawai Inc and his own story — My Life, My World and Stories of Old Urupā.
Dr Pardoe is a former chair of Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust and led the Waitangi claims for the Rongowhakaata iwi.
He also chaired Te Aute College board of trustees.
He is a former farmer and contractor who represented several farming entities, was a director of Moana fisheries and a delegate for the shearing industry.
When told of the doctorate a week before the graduation on March 31, Dr Pardoe rushed to get organised and called all his whānau to share the news.
Wife Molly Pardoe MNZM was as surprised as he was.
“He walked in with a ghastly look on his face. I asked what was wrong and then he told me the news. It was a surprise for sure.”
Dr Pardoe was accompanied by whānau from Tairāwhiti and got another pleasant surprise while eating fish and chips in his hotel room the night before the ceremony when his sister from Australia walked through the door.
“The graduation itself was a great event,” he said. “The organisation was fantastic and the hospitality was great. We were well looked after.”
Former Māori Party co-leader Dame Tāriana Turia and te reo Māori advocate Te Riaki Amoamo received honorary doctorates as well.