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Alexander Hare McLintock (14 April 1903 – 29 May 1968) was a New Zealand teacher, university lecturer, historian and artist. He edited and authored the three-volume ''
Encyclopaedia of New Zealand ''An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand'' is an official encyclopaedia about New Zealand, published in three volumes by the New Zealand Government in 1966. Edited by Alexander Hare McLintock, the parliamentary historian, assisted by two others, the e ...
'', published in 1966, his final and perhaps his most remembered work.


Early life

Born in
Gore Gore may refer to: Places Australia * Gore, Queensland * Gore Creek (New South Wales) * Gore Island (Queensland) Canada * Gore, Nova Scotia, a rural community * Gore, Quebec, a township municipality * Gore Bay, Ontario, a township on Manitouli ...
, New Zealand, on 14 April 1903, Alexander Hare McLintock was the son of a
Scotsman The Scots ( sco, Scots Fowk; gd, Albannaich) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged in the early Middle Ages from an amalgamation of two Celtic-speaking peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who founded t ...
, Robert McLintock, an engineer by trade, and his wife Christina . He attended Caversham School in Dunedin and then Otago Boys' High School. After completing his education, he decided to become a teacher and went to Dunedin Teachers' Training College. He then worked for several years at a primary school while studying history at the
University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...
.


Academia

McLintock became well known as a debater while at the University of Otago, representing the university at competitions overseas. He became a proficient speed reader and developed wide interests, including classics and the piano. As well as attending university, he went to the Dunedin School of Art and studied painting and etching. McLintock graduated in 1928 having obtained a
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
with first class honours. The same year, he married Eva Maude . McLintock was a teacher at Timaru Technical College from 1929 to 1936. He also lectured at the Workers' Educational Association in Timaru for a time. He went to the
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
in 1936, where he began studying for a
Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...
degree. He completed his degree in 1939 and two years later, published ''The Establishment of Constitutional Government in Newfoundland, 1783–1832'', a book based on his thesis. By this stage, he had become well known in the New Zealand art scene with his writings on the subject and his own paintings and etchings. In 1939, on his return to New Zealand, he became director of the National Centennial Exhibition of New Zealand Art, held in 1940.


Historian

Returning to the University of Otago in 1940 as a history lecturer, he became involved in the Otago Centennial Historical Publications as editor. This work included McLintock writing two books in the series. One of these was the well regarded ''The History of Otago'', published in 1949 and which won the Ernest Scott Prize from the
University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...
. The same year, an opportunity arose to secure the chair of history at Canterbury University College; however, much to his disappointment he missed out and thereafter held a disregard for the academic establishment. In 1952, he finished lecturing at Otago, having switched subjects to English a few years previously, and took a post as parliamentary historian. In his new role, McLintock worked on what was intended to be several volumes of a parliamentary history. The first of these, ''Crown Colony Government in New Zealand'', was published in 1958. Rather than continue with the next planned volume, a work on the early years of the Legislative Council, he turned to editing work; ''A Descriptive Atlas of New Zealand'' was produced in 1959. In the
1963 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1963 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries ...
, McLintock 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 ...
. He then took on what was most likely his best known work, the task of co-ordinating and editing the ''
Encyclopaedia of New Zealand ''An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand'' is an official encyclopaedia about New Zealand, published in three volumes by the New Zealand Government in 1966. Edited by Alexander Hare McLintock, the parliamentary historian, assisted by two others, the e ...
''. This was a three-volume series of books with in excess of 1,800 entries produced by over three hundred authors. McLintock also wrote several entries across a range of subjects. The encyclopedia was published in November 1966, selling its entire print run of 34,000 copies within months. McLintock was involved in other work; paintings and etchings were exhibited in Europe, including at the Royal Academy of Arts. He was also on the committee for New Zealand banknotes when it switched to decimal currency. Afflicted by cancer, McLintock retired in early 1968. He died a few months later, on 29 May 1968, in Dunedin. He was survived by his wife, who he had cared for since she suffered a stroke several years previously, and a daughter.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLintock, Alexander Hare 1903 births 1968 deaths New Zealand artists University of Otago faculty People from Gore, New Zealand 20th-century New Zealand historians New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand people of Scottish descent