Te Aute College (Māori: Te Kura o Te Aute) is a school in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. It opened in 1854 with twelve pupils under Samuel Williams, an Anglican missionary, and nephew and son-in-law of Bishop William Williams. It has a strong Māori character. It was built on land provided by Te Whatuiapiti, a hapu of the Ngati Kahungunu iwi. In 1857, a Deed of Gifts transferred the land from Te Whatuiapiti to the crown, with a request that it be granted to the Bishop of New Zealand and his successors. In 1859, the school was forced to close its doors due to lack of resources, but was re-opened in 1872. The school gradually expanded. The Young Māori Party, established in 1909, which was dedicated to improving the position of Māori, grew out of the Te Aute Students Association, started by former students of the college in 1897. In 1973, the college was again hit by financial difficulties, but a direct appeal for assistance to the Prime Minister, Norman Kirk, secured Te Aute's future. In 1993, Te Aute officially became co-educational, although female students from its sister school Hukarere were enrolled at the school in 1992.