Marmaduke John Dixon (186231 July 1918), known as Marmaduke or Duke Dixon, was a New Zealand farmer and mountaineer.

Early life and farming

Dixon was born in 1862 at his father's station in Eyrewell in North Canterbury, New Zealand. He was the son of Marmaduke Dixon and Eliza Dixon ( Wood). He received his education at

Christ's College, Christchurch Christ's College, Canterbury is an independent Anglican secondary day and boarding school for boys, located in the city centre of Christchurch, New Zealand. Founded in 1850 by Reverend Henry Jacobs in Lyttelton as a school for early settlers, ...

. Historian

George Macdonald George MacDonald (10 December 1824 – 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. I ...

described Dixon as "rather eccentric – stammered badly – much loved by his friends". Dixon took over that part of his father's farm that was located in Eyrewell in the Waimakariri District. His father had been a pioneer in irrigation, and Dixon Jr. further developed the system of land irrigation, chairing the Waimakariri-Ashley water supply board for some years.

Mountaineering

Dixon was a keen mountaineer. He climbed with Guy Mannering in the

Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The name "Southern ...

and together, they attempted several times to achieve the first ascent of Aoraki / Mount Cook, the country's highest peak. In one of those attempts, they came within of the summit. Their canoe trip down the Tasman River, across Lake Pukaki, and then down the Waitaki River until they reached the Main South Line so that they could catch a train back to

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

inspired adventure sports competitors Steve Moffatt and Steve Gurney to re-enact their climbing and canoeing adventures in 2010. In 1891, Dixon was one of the founders of the

New Zealand Alpine Club The New Zealand Alpine Club (NZAC) was founded in 1891 and is one of the oldest alpine clubs in the world. The NZAC is the national climbing organisation in New Zealand and is a member of the Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme. It ...

in Christchurch.

Family and death

In 1897, Dixon married Mabel Courage at

Amberley Amberley may refer to: Places Australia *Amberley, Queensland, near Ipswich, Australia *RAAF Base Amberley, a Royal Australian Air Force military airbase United Kingdom * Amberley, Gloucestershire, England * Amberley, Herefordshire, England ...

; they had six children. On 31 July 1918, he died from a recurring illness at Brockelhurst Hospital in

Rangiora Rangiora is the largest town and seat of the Waimakariri District, in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is north of Christchurch, and is part of the Christchurch metropolitan area. With an estimated population of Rangiora is the 30th largest urba ...

. Dixon Peak in the Southern Alps, previously known as Mount Dixon, was named after him by

Noel Brodrick Thomas Noel Brodrick (25 December 1855 – 12 July 1931) was a New Zealand surveyor and public servant, serving as Surveyor-General of New Zealand from April to October 1920. Brodrick was born in Islington, London, England, on 25 December ...

. Marmaduke Dixon Glacier in the Selwyn District, feeding into the White River, was also named by Brodrick after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dixon, Marmaduke 1862 births 1918 deaths People educated at Christ's College, Christchurch New Zealand mountain climbers New Zealand farmers People from North Canterbury Colony of New Zealand people