Denis Blundell

Sir Edward Denis Blundell (1970s)

Sir Edward Denis Blundell GCMG , GCVO , KBE , QSO (born May 29, 1907 in Wellington , New Zealand ; † September 24, 1984 in Townsville , Queensland , Australia ) was a lawyer in New Zealand and England, soldier and from 1972 to 1977 the 12th Governor General of New Zealand . He was the first New Zealand-born governor general in the country.

Early years

Edward Denis Blundell was born in Wellington on May 29, 1907 . He came from the branch of the family of the founder of the Wellington Evening Post , Henry Blundell . Denis Blundell attended Waitaki Boys High School in Oamaru and then studied law at the University of Cambridge . After completing his studies, he was approved to work as a barrister in England in 1929 .

Professional career

A year later he returned to New Zealand and worked as a solicitor and barrister in Wellington , until in 1936 he became a partner in the law firm of Bell Gully , which has its headquarters in Auckland and has several hundred employees . He remained with the company until 1968, when he was appointed High Commissioner for New Zealand in Britain and Ambassador to Ireland ( High Commissioner for New Zealand in Great Britain and Ambassador for Ireland ). He held the office until his appointment as governor general in 1972. During his professional career, he was elected President of the Wellington District Law Society in 1951 , was President of the New Zealand Law Society from 1962 to 1968, and in 1966 was Vice President of the Law Society of Asia and the Pacific .

A passionate cricket player, he took over the presidency of the New Zealand Cricket Board from 1959 to 1962 .

From 1962 to 1968 he was President of Birthright New Zealand Inc , an organization that supports children and families with only one parent.

military service

In 1939 he was drafted into the army and served in the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force , the part of the New Zealand Army that took part in World War II . He was a member of the 19th Wellington Battalion until 1944 , was Brigade Major of the 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade from 1943 to 1944 and was then responsible for the 23rd Battalion until 1945 . He finished military service in 1944 as a war invalid and with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel .

State Office

In 1971, the New Zealand cabinet decided to propose Blundell , already 65 years old, as the 12th Governor General of New Zealand. He officially took office on September 27, 1972. He was not only the first Governor General to be born in New Zealand, but also the first not to wear a feathered helmet and only simple uniforms or simple suits on official occasions. At the end of his tenure, which ended on October 5, 1977, he moved to Auckland with his wife at the age of 70. Blundell died on September 24, 1984 in Townsville , Queensland . Nothing is known about the circumstances of his death.

Awards

• 1964 - Order of the British Empire (KBE)
• 1967 - Order of St. Michael and St. George (GCMG)
• 1974 - Royal Victorian Order (GCVO)
• 19 ?? - Queen's Service Order (QSO)

literature

• Gavin McLean : The Governors - New Zealand's Governors and Governors-General . Otago University Press , Dunedin 2006, ISBN 978-1-877372-25-4 , pp. 291-297 (English).

Web links

• Sir (Edward) Denis Blundell, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, QSO . The Governor-General,accessed January 27, 2015. 
• Sir Denis Blundell . New Zealand History,accessed January 27, 2015(Photo by Blundell). 

Individual evidence

1. ^ McLean : The Governors . 2006, p.  291 .
2. ↑ Sir (Edward) Denis Blundell, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, QSO . The Governor-General , accessed January 27, 2015 .  
3. ↑ Sir Denis Blundell . ESPN cricinfo , accessed January 27, 2015 .  
4. ↑ 2009 Anual Report . (PDF 189 kB) Birthright New Zealand Incorporated , archived from the original on January 14, 2015 ; accessed on April 24, 2018 (English, original website no longer available).  
5. ^ ^{A b} McLean : The Governors . 2006, p.  292 .
6. ^ War Memorial - Online Cenotaph - Edward Denis Blundell . Auckland Museum , accessed January 27, 2015 .  
7. ↑ Sir Denis Blundell . New Zealand History , accessed January 27, 2015 .  
8. ^ Governor-General Sir Bernard Fergusson and three new knights., October 6, 1967 . National Library of New Zealand , accessed January 27, 2015 .  
9. ^ McLean : The Governors . 2006, p.  294 .

predecessor	Office	successor
Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt	Governor General of New Zealand September 27, 1972 - October 5, 1977	Keith Holyoake