Sir Alfred Clarke Turnbull (14 October 1881 – 17 September 1962) was a New Zealand colonial administrator who served as

Administrator of Western Samoa This article lists the colonial governors of Samoa (or Western Samoa), from the establishment of German Samoa in 1900 until the independence of the Western Samoa Trust Territory in 1962. List (Dates in italics indicate ''de facto'' co ...

and

Tokelau Tokelau (; ; known previously as the Union Islands, and, until 1976, known officially as the Tokelau Islands) is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It consists of three tropical coral atolls: Atafu, Nukunonu, a ...

between 1935 and 1946.

Biography

Turnbull was born in Balclutha in 1881.Turnbull, Alfred Clarke (Sir), 1881–1962
New Zealand National Library He joined the civil service in 1899, initially working in the Lands & Survey Department, before becoming Chief Accountant in 1912 and an inspector in 1915. He served in the

New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

between 1916 and 1919."From Samoa to Somes and back: The Internment of Father Albert Merten sm and Brother Joseph (Julius) Krieger sm during World War II
Marists When he returned from the war, he was appointed secretary to the Public Service Commissioner. In 1921 he married Grace Moncrieff. He was posted to Western Samoa in 1930, initially as Government Secretary.Sir Alfred Clarke Turnbull
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', December 1962, p141 In 1935 he was appointed Acting Administrator, succeeding

Herbert Ernest Hart Brigadier General Sir Herbert Ernest Hart, (13 October 1882 – 5 March 1968) was an officer in the New Zealand Military Forces who served during the Second Boer War and the First World War. He later served as the Administrator of Western ...

. Turnbull was a popular figure in Samoa, and a petition was sent to the New Zealand government requesting his appointment. However, his position was not made permanent until 1943. He remained in office until 1946, when he retired and was replaced by

Francis William Voelcker Lieutenant-Colonel Francis William Voelcker (9 October 1896 – 22 May 1954) was a British army officer and colonial administrator. Biography Born in London in 1896,Knight 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 ...

in the

1946 New Year Honours The 1946 New Year Honours were appointments by many of the Commonwealth Realms of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and to celebrate the passing of 1945 and the beginnin ...

. Following his retirement, Turnbull relocated to the United States where his daughter lived. He died in

Stamford Hospital Stamford Hospital, residing on the Bennett Medical Center campus, is a 305-bed, not-for-profit hospital and the central facility for Stamford Health. The hospital is regional healthcare facility for Fairfield and Westchester counties, and is th ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, in 1962.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turnbull, Alfred 1881 births New Zealand military personnel of World War I Samoan civil servants Administrators of the Western Samoa Trust Territory Administrators of Tokelau New Zealand Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand emigrants to the United States 1962 deaths People from Balclutha, New Zealand New Zealand public servants