Peter McWhannell

Born in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1875,[1] McWhannell served his engineering apprenticeship on the Clyde.[2] He emigrated to New Zealand in the early 1900s, initially settling in Dunedin before moving to Wellington.[2] In 1905 he married Mary Cook McCole Love,[3] and the couple went on to have two children.[2]

McWhannell was foreman at Robertson's foundry in Wellington, and subsequently established his own engineering firm of Ross, Jory, and McWhannell.[2]

Initially a member of the Newtown Bowling Club, McWhannell moved to the Hataitai Bowling Club when it was established in 1910, and served as that club's president in 1918.[2] He skipped Hataitai teams to five titles at Wellington tournaments, and won numerous club championships.[2] He was the Hataitai singles champion in 1912, 1917, 1920 and 1935; pairs champion in 1916, 1924, 1927 and 1937; and fours champion in 1918, 1929, 1935, 1938 and 1939.[2]

At the 1930 British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, he competed in the pairs and fours.[4] He won the silver medal with his partner William Fielding in the pairs event.[5] The foursome of McWhannell, Fielding, Edward Leach, and Harold Frost finished in fifth place in the fours competition.[6][7]

Not long before his death, McWhannell was elected a life member of the Hataitai Bowling Club.[2]

McWhannell died at his home in the Wellington suburb of Hataitai on 26 July 1943,[2] and his ashes were buried at Karori Cemetery.[8][9]