About Doug

Dr Doug Sinclair (Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Ngāi Tahu) was a respected general practitioner and an advocate for Indigenous rights and for Māori and Aboriginal health.

Doug held a Diploma in Obstetrics from the University of Auckland. As a GP he dedicated his career to improving Indigenous health outcomes in Aotearoa and Australia. He worked in Tolaga Bay and Hamilton, and later helped set up Aboriginal health clinics.

Doug served on the Ngāi Tahu Māori Trust Board across several terms. He was President of Te Matakite o Aotearoa, and at one time advocated for an independent Māori party that would be “Māori orientated and Māori dominated” and “totally free of foreign influence”.

He was a founding member of the Māori Graduates Association. He stood for the Raglan seat in 1969 and 1972, and played a major role in the return of the Raglan Golf Course. He advocated for greater Māori representation in Parliament, recognition of the Treaty of Waitangi, and for Māori to take greater control over their lives. He attended Indigenous peoples’ conferences and presented the Indigenous Peoples’ Charter, which later became the Charter for Whaingaroa.

Across healthcare, politics, cultural heritage and education, Doug’s work was driven by a vision of Māori leadership and representation.