Background
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.
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 United Kingdom however, and returned to New Zealand in 1930, practising as barrister and solicitor in Wellington. During World 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.
Blundell was a talented cricketer, and opened the bowling in first class cricket for Cambridge University as well as for Master Control Console and Wellington. He captained Wellington in the 1934-1935 Plunket Shield season, taking 6 for 82 and 5 for 48 in the match against Otago.
He was later President of the New Zealand Cricket Board 1959–1962. Blundell was appointed by Prime Minister Keith Holyoake as for New Zealand in Britain and Ambassador to Ireland in 1968.
In 1972 he returned to New Zealand.
Blundell was appointed in 1972 by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of her Prime Minister Jack Marshall to the office of of New Zealand. 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 European Economic Community and in many a battle on the golf-course". Blundell was the first New Zealand-born and resident, 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 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.
Blundell died while on holiday at Townsville, Queensland, Australia, in 1984. Bibliography
The Story of Bell Gully Buddle Weir by Julia Millen (1990, Bell Gully).