Derek Leonard Round (23 February 1935 – 16 May 2012) was a New Zealand journalist and

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

correspondent.

Career

Round's media career started in mid 1950s when he was working as an editor for Canta, the Canterbury University student newspaper. He graduated from

Canterbury University 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 ...

as a law graduate but had worked in journalism at the Parker-Hulme murder trial in 1975 as a 19-year-old legal intern, and continued in that career. In 1960 he started as the bureau chief for

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was esta ...

, the international news agency, in Singapore and Hong Kong. From 1973 to 1977 he worked as an Asia correspondent for the

New Zealand Press Association The New Zealand Press Association (NZPA) was a news agency that existed from 1879 to 2011 and provided national and international news to the media of New Zealand. The largest news agency in the country, it was founded as the United Press Associa ...

(NZPA) in Singapore and Hong Kong. Later on he started working at the parliamentary press gallery as a political editor, also at NZPA. His roles also included London bureau chief and editor, which he worked as for five years, from 1984 and on.Distinguished journalist Derek Round dead
3news.co.nz In 1976 Rounds accompanied New Zealand Prime Minister

Rob Muldoon Sir Robert David Muldoon (; 25 September 19215 August 1992) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand, from 1975 to 1984, while leader of the National Party. Serving as a corporal and sergeant in t ...

on a visit to China. Round was one of the few journalists selected to attend the

wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer The wedding of the Prince of Wales (future King Charles III) and Lady Diana Spencer took place on Wednesday, 29 July 1981, at St Paul's Cathedral in London, United Kingdom. The groom was the heir apparent to the British throne, and the bride was ...

in 1981. Round was one of the most distinguished journalists in New Zealand and he gained a reputation for being a successful "gung-ho" reporter from his work in war zones. In the 2010 Queen's Birthday Honours, Round was appointed a

Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ren ...

, for services to journalism. It has also been claimed that Round worked as a spy for the SIS after the Soviet Union contacted him. This was told by Martin Round who is Derek's cousin. His published works include the book "Barbed Wire Between Us" (July 15, 2002, Random House New Zealand, 189 pages).

Death

Round was murdered in the living room of his own home in

Whanganui 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. Whang ...

. His body was found on the morning of 17 May 2012. Police described his death as violent, reporting as follows: "Although I can't go into details at this stage the results would indicate a horrific attack on Derek, which took place in the living room of his home", detective Senior Sergeant Dave Kirby of Whanguanui CIB said. Inquiries are continuing. Later it was announced that Derek died due to several violent blows to the head. In May 2012, Whanganui man Michael Umanui Werahiko, 31, was arrested and charged with Round's murder. As of November 2012, he was being held in custody after failing to win bail. His trial was set to take place in Whanganui, in July 2013. Werahiko was subsequently found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum period of imprisonment of 15 years. Werahiko appealed, but both appeals (against the duration and minimum duration of his term) were thrown out in the Court of Appeal in 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Round, Derek 1935 births 2012 deaths War correspondents of the Vietnam War Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit University of Canterbury alumni People from Whanganui New Zealand murder victims 2012 murders in New Zealand 20th-century New Zealand journalists