James Luke Hazlett (24 April 1909 – 1 September 1987) was a New Zealand farmer and diplomat. He served as the New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia from 1964 to 1970.

Biography

Hazlett was born in

Southland Southland may refer to: Places Canada * Dunbar–Southlands, Vancouver, British Columbia New Zealand * Southland Region, a region of New Zealand * Southland County, a former New Zealand county * Southland District, part of the wider Southland Reg ...

on 24 April 1909, the son of Kate (née Stephenson) and William Thomas Hazlett. His mother was the daughter of one of the founders of stock and station agents

Wright Stephenson Wright Stephenson was a stock and station agency founded in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1861. Foundation and development The business was begun in 1861 as Wright, Robertson, & Co. by partners John T. Wright and Robert M. Robertson as a result of ...

, and his father was a merchant and had extensive landholdings. He was educated at Waihopai School and

Waitaki Boys' High School Waitaki Boys' High School is a secondary school for boys located in the northern part of the town of Oamaru, Otago, New Zealand, with day and boarding facilities, and was founded in 1883. , it has a school roll of approximately 400 students. The ...

. After leaving school, he worked as a farmer on his family's property at Burwood. A drama enthusiast he joined

Allan Wilkie Allan Wilkie CBE (9 February 1878 – 7 January 1970) was an English Shakespearean actor of Scottish descent noted for his career in Australia. Biography Born in Toxteth Park, Lancashire, he was educated at Liverpool High School and went to ...

's Shakespearian Company in Australia for a year before returning to Burwood in 1934. He then took over a property at the

Ōreti River The Ōreti River (formerly the Oreti River) is one of the main rivers of Southland, New Zealand, and is long. The river has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because, for much of its length, it supports bree ...

town of Winton that he called Gretna Green in 1934. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Hazlett served in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

with the 20th Armoured Regiment, ending the war in

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...

. He was active politically and was the Otago-Southland division president of the National Party for seven years and also served on the party's executive. In 1964, Hazlett was appointed as New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia by Prime Minister

Keith Holyoake Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake, (; 11 February 1904 – 8 December 1983) was the 26th prime minister of New Zealand, serving for a brief period in 1957 and then from 1960 to 1972, and also the 13th governor-general of New Zealand, serving from 1977 ...

. When he first arrived in Canberra, he met Australian Prime Minister, Sir

Robert Menzies The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...

and said to him, "I am not a diplomat. I am as green as grass and have just come off the turnips." Hazlett was popular with Australian politicians and reporters, with many editorials headed "Goodbye Luke" when he left the role in 1970. Menzies suggested that he should write a memoir with the title ''Green as Grass''. Hazlett served on both the New Zealand Nature Conservation Council and the New Zealand Motor Spirits Licensing Authority, and was a life member of the Royal Agricultural Society. He owned many horses and was a master and life member of the Birchwood Hunt and a life member of the Southland Racing Club. In the

1979 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1979 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 1 January 1979 to celebr ...

, Hazlett was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, for public services. Hazlett died on 1 September 1987 in

Invercargill Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of t ...

after a long illness, aged 78. He was survived by his wife and five children.

Personal life and family

Hazlett married to Anita Mary Tapley in January 1935. They had three sons and two daughters. Anita was Dominion chairperson and sponsorship secretary of the

Save the Children Fund The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...

and later the president of the Southland Omaui children's holiday camp. Hazlett's older brother,

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

, was an

All Black The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...

in the 1920s, and his son

Jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

was an All Black in the mid-1960s.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hazlett, Luke 1909 births 1987 deaths People educated at Waitaki Boys' High School 20th-century New Zealand farmers New Zealand National Party politicians New Zealand military personnel of World War II High commissioners of New Zealand to Australia New Zealand racehorse owners and breeders New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire People from Southland, New Zealand