Norman Colin McLeod (5 August 1921 – 6 April 2018) was a New Zealand civil engineer, who served as the Commissioner of Works between 1973 and 1981.

Early life and education

McLeod was born in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

on 5 August 1921, the son of Norman John Murdoch McLeod, also an engineer, and Eva Mary McLeod (née Ringrose). Raised in the

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

suburb of

Karori Karori is a suburb located at the western edge of the urban area of Wellington, New Zealand, 4 km from the city centre and is one of New Zealand's most populous suburbs, with a population of in History Origins The name ''Karori'' used ...

, he was educated at

Wellington College Wellington College may refer to: *Wellington College, Berkshire, an independent school in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England ** Wellington College International Shanghai ** Wellington College International Tianjin *Wellington College, Wellington, New Z ...

, and went on to study civil engineering at

Canterbury University College The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was f ...

, graduating BE in 1942.

Early career and military service

Following graduation, McLeod initially worked in the

Public Works Department This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

, designing coastal defences. In April 1943, he was commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the Corps of New Zealand Engineers, but was decommissioned and sent overseas in January 1944 as a

sapper A sapper, also called a pioneer (military), pioneer or combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefie ...

, serving in Italy. He was again commissioned as a second lieutenant in February 1945, and served as

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

to Brigadier Fred Hanson. In March 1946, he went to Japan with the 5th Engineer Company as part of

J Force J Force (sometimes referred to as "Jayforce") was the name given to the New Zealand forces that were allocated to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) which occupied Japan following the end of the Second World War. The force was deploy ...

Post-war family and career

Returning to New Zealand in September 1946, he married Ella Margaret McEwan, and the couple went on to have three children. McLeod resumed his career with the Ministry of Works, and in 1949 moved to

Mangakino Mangakino is a small town on the banks of the Waikato River in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located close to the hydroelectric power station at Lake Maraetai, southeast of Hamilton. The town and its infrastructure are administered a ...

, where he rose to become the project engineer for construction of the

Waikato River The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand, running for through the North Island. It rises on the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and flowing through Lake Taupō, New Zealand's largest lake. It th ...

dams. In 1962, McLeod became district commissioner of works in

Wanganui Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whangan ...

. and then, from 1964 to 1966, district commissioner of Works in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

. After an

Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship Eisenhower Fellowships is a private, non-profit organization created in 1953 by a group of prominent American citizens to honor President Dwight D. Eisenhower for his contribution to humanity as a soldier, statesman, and world leader. The organiza ...

in the United States in 1966, McLeod served as director of the National Water and Soil Conservation Authority from 1966 to 1971. He was appointed Commissioner of Works, succeeding Jim Macky, in 1973, and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1981, when he was succeeded by Jack Chesterman. In the 1981 Queen's Birthday Honours, McLeod was appointed a

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

, in recognition of his service as commissioner.

Later life and death

McLeod's wife, Ella, was active in community activities, including 15 years as a member of the

Wellington Hospital Board Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...

from 1974 to 1989. In the 1982 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was awarded the

Queen's Service Medal The Queen's Service Medal is a medal awarded by the government of New Zealand to recognise and reward volunteer service to the community and also public service in elected or appointed public office. It was established in 1975 and is related to ...

for community service. She died on 20 June 2011. Colin McLeod died in Wellington on 6 April 2018.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLeod, Colin 1921 births 2018 deaths New Zealand public servants New Zealand civil engineers New Zealand Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George University of Canterbury alumni New Zealand military personnel of World War II People from Auckland People educated at Wellington College (New Zealand) Wellington Hospital Board members People from Wellington City