Ned continued his education at Otakou school, but at age 14, he suffered a severe lobar pneumonia which was slow to heal. "My brother Tom and his wife stopped by on their honeymoon and asked if I wanted to stay in Wellington with him for awhile and work as an assistant for him in his law office." This he did, spending one year in Wellington while awaiting a chance to attend Te Aute College. The following year , he stayed with his brother Dan, on a big sheep farm in the Hawkes Bay. At the end of that year, he got into Te Aute when someone failed to return and with the help of his brother, Dan . It was 1902 and Ned was 17 years old . He came under the influence of Mr John Thornton and staff. "I thought at last I may get the chance to play rugby football." He became a keen rugby player, and was also active in the Te Aute College Students' Association and later the Young Maori Party. He was converted to Christianity before matriculating in 1904. " My brother Tom died that year and it passed a terrible gloom over us all." "Until Te Aute, I had been denied a religious education of any kind and I knew nothing of the contents of the Bible. At Te Aute, I began to study the Bible and the life teachings of Christ. After 2 years I was confirmed by Bishop Williams and I continued my studies in order to ascertain that Christianity was established by Christ Himself." He later furthered his religious studies at Te Rau Theological College, Gisborne, before deciding to pursue a medical career. Unable to secure financial assistance from the government or his family, he found work with a survey party in Otago, before returning to Te Rau College. During this time he represented Poverty Bay at hockey, and in 1911 he was selected for the New Zealand Maori rugby team. Ellison studied science at the University of Otago in 191213 and in 1914 entered the Medical School. He continued to excel at sport, representing the university at rugby and cricket.On the 30 July 1913 , at Sedgemere, Canterbury, Ned married Tini Wiwi Taiaroa. Her father , Teone Wiwi (Jack)Taiaroa, was a prominent Ngai Tahu leader and had been a member of the 1884 Native team. They were to have 4 children. Ellison graduated MB, ChB in 1919, and that year was appointed chief medical officer for Niue. During his four years there he held numerous other positions, including deputy and resident commissioner, resident magistrate, coroner, sheriff, and chairman of the licensing committee. In 1923 he became medical officer and resident magistrate for the Chatham Islands.In 1925 Ellison returned to Otago University to undertake postgraduate studies in tropical medicine. He travelled to Samoa and then to Makogai island, Fiji, where he wrote an important paper on leprosy. The following year he was appointed chief medical officer and deputy resident commissioner to the Cook Islands. Tragedy struck on 18 September 1926 when his wife, Tini, died suddenly of acute rheumatic fever, leaving a young family of two sons and a daughter. Another daughter,Joy, had died earlier. On 12 July 1928, in Wellington, Ellison married Mary Karaka Boyd; they were to have four sons and two daughters.
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