Gordon McLauchlan

Gordon William McLauchlan ONZM (9 January 1931 – 26 January 2020) was a New Zealand writer and social historian. He became a popular media personality through his work on both television and radio.[1]

Early life and family

Born in Dunedin on 9 January 1931, McLauchlan was educated at Wellington College.[2] In 1955, he married Beverley Mary Hogan; the couple had three children and later divorced.[2] He married Beverley Dawn Forbes in 1982.[2]

Career

After spending a year at Victoria University College, McLauchlan started his journalism career as a reporter on the Manawatu Evening Standard.[1] He was the NZPA parliamentary reporter from 1952 to 1955, before moving to the Daily Telegraph in Napier.[2] He was editor of the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture from 1965 to 1971, and the controller of public affairs at Air New Zealand between 1971 and 1973.[2] In 1973, McLauchlan became a freelance journalist and writer, and from 2000 he was a full-time writer.[1] He was a columnist for The New Zealand Herald newspaper between 1971 and 1975, and from 1990, and was foundation director and station manager of Radio Pacific.[2]

As a social historian and cultural critic, McLauchlan wrote many books. These included the best-selling The Passionless People, a social history of New Zealand, published in 1976, which spawned a two-part television documentary.[1] Over 20 other books were to follow, as well as a play, The Last Days of Frank Sargeson. For 10 years, he was also editor-in-chief of the Bateman New Zealand Encyclopaedia, first published in 1984, and revised editions in 1987, 1991, and 1995.[1]

McLauchlan's writing led to a second career as a media commentator, presenting television and radio programmes. Between 1984 and 1988, he presented Weekend, a magazine programme on TVNZ, and later he was co-presenter of the TV3 news magazine programme, 5.30 Live, from 1993 to 1994.[2] He made regular appearances on RNZ National's The Panel segment on weekday afternoons.[1]

Honours and awards

In 1987, McLauchlan won Presenter of the Year at New Zealand's annual television awards.[1] In the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to historical research.[3]

Death

McLauchlan died on 26 January 2020, a few days after his 89th birthday.[4] In tribute, Hamish Keith tweeted that McLauchlan was New Zealand's "greatest storyteller".[4]

References
  1. "McLauchlan, Gordon". Read NZ Te Pou Muramura. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  2. Taylor, Alister, ed. (2001). New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa 2001. Auckland: Alister Taylor Publishers. p. 613. ISSN 1172-9813.
  3. "Queen's Birthday Honours 2019 – citations for Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit". Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. 3 June 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  4. Orsman, Bernard (27 January 2020). "Writer and social historian Gordon McLauchlan dies aged 89". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
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