Charles BATHURST 1867 - 1958 Lydney Park Pt 2 (General)

by slowhands , proud of his ancient Dean Forest roots, Friday, August 11, 2006, 07:36 (6680 days ago) @ slowhands

Bledisloe also made a significant contribution to the national recognition of the Maori King movement. He developed an enduring friendship with King Koroki and Te Puea Herangi, and his easy acceptance of the title 'king' helped remove the reticence about using it in official circles. His public comments were notable, moreover, in neither patronising nor romanticising Maori.

Another feature of Bledisloe's stewardship was his promotion of various causes and events by the presentation of trophies: among these were awards for landscape painting, for gardens featuring New Zealand plants, and for Maori excellence in farming. The Bledisloe Cup for competition between the Australian and New Zealand rugby teams was presented in 1931, and became the major event through which his name has endured.

By the end of his term in March 1935 there was general acknowledgement of the qualities that Lord and Lady Bledisloe had brought to the vice regal office. The couple retained a close interest in a number of New Zealand issues and projects, and maintained contact with many New Zealanders. For over 30 years the Early Settlers and Historical Association of Wellington held an annual Bledisloe Day gathering. The Bledisloes returned to New Zealand in 1947 with a goodwill mission from the Royal Agricultural Society of England, of which Bledisloe was president in 1946.

In 1930 he had been appointed GCMG and on his return to England he was created Viscount Bledisloe of Lydney. He subsequently held a number of public positions. As well as resuming his local Gloucestershire activities and his support for the Royal Agricultural College, he was chairman of the National Council of Social Service from 1935 to 1938, and president of the Museums Association in its jubilee year, 1939. He chaired the royal commission on the closer union of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1938, and led a Royal Agricultural Society mission to South Africa and Southern Rhodesia in 1948. Honorary degrees were conferred on him by the universities of Bristol (DSc), Edinburgh (LLD) and Oxford (DCL), and he was made a fellow of University College, Oxford.

Bledisloe was famous for his Red Poll cattle and his orchards. He promoted pig farming, and he kept dairy cows and grew potatoes and grain on his estate. Lady Bledisloe died in February 1956. Lord Bledisloe died, aged 90, at Lydney on 3 July 1958.

HOW TO CITE THIS BIOGRAPHY:
Marshall, Russell. 'Bledisloe, Charles Bathurst 1867 - 1958'. Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, updated 7 April 2006
URL: http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/