Ken Cumberland
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Ken Cumberland
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|CBE|size=100%}}
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| birth_name = Kenneth Brailey Cumberland
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1913|10|01|df=y}}
| birth_place = Bradford, Yorkshire, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|04|17|1913|10|01|df=y}}
| death_place = Manurewa, New Zealand
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| fields = Physical geography
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| alma_mater = University of New Zealand
| thesis_title = The regional morphology of soil erosion in New Zealand: a geographic reconnaissance
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| thesis_year = DSc, 1945
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Kenneth Brailey Cumberland {{post-nominals|country=NZL|CBE|size=85%}} (1 October 1913 – 17 April 2011) was a New Zealand geography academic and local-body politician.
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/organisation/academy/fellowship/obituaries/kenneth-cumberland/ |title=Kenneth Brailey Cumberland |publisher=Royal Society of New Zealand |date=16 July 2012 |access-date=29 July 2014 |first=Charmaine |last=Pountney}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nzonscreen.com/person/kenneth-cumberland |title=Kenneth Cumberland |publisher=NZ On Screen |date=24 August 2009 |access-date=29 July 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://muir.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/3092 |title=The institutionalisation of geography in New Zealand, an interpretation: a thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Geography, Massey University |publisher=Muir.massey.ac.nz |access-date=29 July 2014}}
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.{{sfn|Edgar|2012|pp=}} Later, he was elected to the Auckland City Council in 1953 as part of Robinson's United Independents ticket.{{cite news |title=Declaration of Poll |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=16 November 1953 |page=16 }} 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.{{cite news |title=Declaration of Poll |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=28 November 1956 |page=5 }}{{cite news |title=Declaration of Result of Poll |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=5 December 1959 |page=31 }} 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.{{cite web |url=https://royalsociety.org.nz/who-we-are/our-people/our-fellows/all-fellows/a-c/ |title=List of all fellows with surnames A–C |year=2017 |publisher=Royal Society of New Zealand |access-date=20 June 2018}} 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.{{London Gazette |issue=49010 |date=12 June 1982 |page=40 |supp=3}}
Death
Cumberland died on 17 April 2011, aged 97. He was survived by two of his children.{{cite news |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10721127 |title=Geographer gave us story of NZ |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=23 April 2011 |access-date=20 June 2018 }}
Notes
{{Reflist}}
References
- {{cite book |first=John |last=Edgar |title=Urban Legend: Sir Dove-Meyer Robinson |publisher=Hodder Moa |year=2012 }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cumberland, Kenneth Brailey}}
Category:Alumni of the University of Nottingham
Category:Alumni of University College London
Category:University of Auckland alumni
Category:English emigrants to New Zealand
Category:New Zealand geographers
Category:Academic staff of the University of Canterbury
Category:Academic staff of the University of Auckland
Category:New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Auckland City Councillors
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand
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