Ken Cumberland

Kenneth Brailey Cumberland CBE (1 October 1913 – 17 April 2011) was a New Zealand geography academic and local-body politician.

Ken Cumberland

CBE
Born
Kenneth Brailey Cumberland

(1913-10-01)1 October 1913
Bradford, Yorkshire, England
Died17 April 2011(2011-04-17) (aged 97)
Manurewa, New Zealand
Alma materUniversity of New Zealand
Scientific career
FieldsPhysical geography
ThesisThe regional morphology of soil erosion in New Zealand: a geographic reconnaissance (DSc, 1945)

Academic career

After a bachelor's in geography at Nottingham University College and a MSc at University College, London, Cumberland emigrated to Canterbury College, Christchurch (now the University of Canterbury) immediately before the outbreak of World War II. After the war he moved to Auckland University College (now the University of Auckland). In each place he played a key role in the establishment of teaching of physical geography. After retiring in 1978 he made and narrated a television series, Landmarks, on the geography of New Zealand.[1][2][3]

Political career

Cumberland was an associate of Dove-Myer Robinson and were both members of the Drainage League that opposed the Brown's Bay scheme supported by the then mayor John Allum.[4] Later, he was elected to the Auckland City Council in 1953 as part of Robinson's United Independents ticket.[5] He was re-elected in both 1956 and 1959; in the latter he was on the "Civic Reform" ticket that briefly succeeded the United Independents.[6][7] He was the leader of the Civic Reform group at the 1959 election.

Honours

Cumberland was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1973.[8] In the 1982 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to geography and the community.[9]

Death

Cumberland died on 17 April 2011, aged 97. He was survived by two of his children.[10]

Notes
  1. Pountney, Charmaine (16 July 2012). "Kenneth Brailey Cumberland". Royal Society of New Zealand. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  2. "Kenneth Cumberland". NZ On Screen. 24 August 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  3. "The institutionalisation of geography in New Zealand, an interpretation: a thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Geography, Massey University". Muir.massey.ac.nz. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  4. Edgar 2012.
  5. "Declaration of Poll". The New Zealand Herald. 16 November 1953. p. 16.
  6. "Declaration of Poll". The New Zealand Herald. 28 November 1956. p. 5.
  7. "Declaration of Result of Poll". The New Zealand Herald. 5 December 1959. p. 31.
  8. "List of all fellows with surnames A–C". Royal Society of New Zealand. 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  9. "No. 49010". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 12 June 1982. p. 40.
  10. "Geographer gave us story of NZ". The New Zealand Herald. 23 April 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2018.

References
  • Edgar, John (2012). Urban Legend: Sir Dove-Meyer Robinson. Hodder Moa.


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