Profession Lawyer, diplomat Rank Lieutenant colonel Nationality New Zealand Battles and wars World War II | Spouse June Blundell Preceded by Sir Arthur Porritt Name Denis Blundell | |
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Prime Minister Born 29 May 1907Wellington, New Zealand ( 1907-05-29 ) Service/branch New Zealand Expeditionary Force | ||
Sir Edward Denis Blundell (29 May 1907 – 24 September 1984) was the 12th Governor-General of New Zealand from 1972 to 1977.
Contents
- Early life and family
- Cricket career
- High Commissioner
- Governor General
- Later life
- Awards and honours
- References
Early life and family
Denis Blundell was born in Wellington to Henry Percy Fabian Blundell, grandson of Henry Blundell, founder of The Evening Post and scion of the ancient Lancashire family.
Blundell attended Waitaki Boys' High School and Trinity College, Cambridge. There he read Law and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1929. He never practised in the UK however, and returned to New Zealand in 1930, practising as barrister and solicitor in Wellington. He was a partner in the Wellington law firm of Bell Gully from 1936 to 1968. During World War II he was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the 2 NZEF, from 1939 to 1944.
Blundell was President of the Wellington District Law Society in 1951, President of the New Zealand Law Society for six years (1962–1968) and Vice-President of the Law Society of Asia and the Pacific 1966.
He married June Halligan in 1945. They had a son and a daughter.
Cricket career
Blundell was a talented cricketer, and opened the bowling in first-class cricket for Cambridge University, MCC and Wellington. In 1928, in his first first-class match for Cambridge, he took 6 for 25 and 3 for 103 against Leicestershire. He captained Wellington in the 1934-35 Plunket Shield season, taking 6 for 82 and 5 for 48 in the match against Otago. When the MCC toured New Zealand in 1935-36 he was selected in two of the four matches New Zealand played against the tourists, taking six wickets, all of top-order batsmen, at an average of 19.50.
He was President of the New Zealand Cricket Board from 1959 to 1962.
High Commissioner
Blundell was appointed by Prime Minister Keith Holyoake as High Commissioner for New Zealand in Britain and Ambassador to Ireland in 1968. In 1972 he returned to New Zealand.
Governor-General
Blundell was appointed in 1972 by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of her Prime Minister Jack Marshall to the office of Governor-General of New Zealand. The Leader of the Opposition, Norman Kirk, did not support the appointment, because of Blundell's friendship with the Prime Minister. At his swearing-in ceremony, the Prime Minister referred to Blundell as "a close personal friend over many years in the law, in the battle of the EEC and in many a battle on the golf-course". Blundell was the first New Zealand-born and resident Governor-General, and his appointment prompted David Lange to say "it sort of made us somehow mortal. A man who was a lawyer and the son of a newspaper publisher could become The Queen in drag."
Blundell was the first Governor-General to appear on the electoral roll, for the 1972 general election, although it is unknown whether he voted (under New Zealand electoral law a citizen is only required to register to vote). In office, Blundell dispensed with the traditional plumed helmet, stating "I'd feel an awful Joe underneath one of those hats." Instead, he wore a plain uniform, and usually only for visits to military bases. His term ended in 1977.
Later life
Blundell died while on holiday at Townsville, Queensland, Australia, in 1984. He was survived by his wife and children.