His mother, Constance Helena Johnson, remarried soon afterwards, and Inia was brought up by Pairoroku and Rakate Rikihana, relatives of his father.

After primary school, he attended Ōtaki Māori College, and at the age of 13 his voice broke and settled into a bass-baritone.

Te Wiata moved to Tūrangawaewae at Ngāruawāhia in the Waikato region to pursue an interest in Māori carving, whakairo.

He was taught by Piri Poutapu,[2] and first worked on carvings in the Kawhia Methodist Church and the Te Winika canoe.

Thanks to fundraising and a government grant, in 1947 Te Wiata left for London for three years' study at the Trinity College of Music.

Nearing the end of his grant, Te Wiata decided to audition for the Covent Garden Opera Company.

While Te Wiata returned to New Zealand periodically, he continued with his singing career in the United Kingdom, living in London and creating a life there with his wife and child.

Te Wiata was a popular man and had a large circle of friends and acquaintances, including the comedian Spike Milligan.

In the 1966 New Year Honours, Te Wiata was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services in the field of operatic singing.

In November 2007, a commemorative CD/DVD was published containing previously unreleased recordings as well as a documentary film of his carving and an interview with Spike Milligan.