Dannevirke cemetery walk features prominent family

A group attends a walk at Dannevirke Settlers Cemetery.

The life of Sir Campbell Wylie will be explored as part of a walk planned for the Dannevirke Settlers’ Cemetery this upcoming weekend.

Sir Campbell, born in Dannevirke in 1905, was a prominent lawyer who went on to become a judge, serving overseas.

According to information from the Gallery of History, his father, William, died when he was 2. His mother would go on to remarry an editor of the Dannevirke Evening News.

It appears William senior was a merchant, as there was a business known as Wylie and Co. merchants. The two-storey building was opposite the post office and was considered a landmark until it was demolished in the 1960s.

William Campbell Wylie attended Dannevirke High School and went to study law at Auckland University.

Following his graduation in 1928, he practised until World War II where he served in the legal department of the army in the Pacific and in the Middle East, according to Wikipedia.

The article states he joined the Colonial Legal Service in British Malaya and was appointed Attorney-General of Barbados before going on to serve as Chief Justice in Sarawak and Borneo.

He was knighted in 1963 for services to the justice system.

Shortly before his death in 1992, Sir Campbell returned to Dannevirke, where he donated a scholarship to Dannevirke High School.

Sir Campbell’s grave is one of several former military servicemen which will be talked about during the walk being held on Sunday, April 21 from 2pm as a precursor to Anzac commemorations.

Those include William Pawson who served during the New Zealand Wars, George Hamilton, the first European to settle into the district, Richard Gregg, who served in the United States army, David Fraser, who fought in the Boer War and Marcus Knight who served in the Royal Air Force and would later be posted to the New Zealand Squadron.

The walk is organised by the Friends of the Settlers’ Cemetery and explores the lives of those buried there.

Sharyn Burling is part of the Friends of the Settlers' Cemetery which organise the walks.

For further information about the walk, contact Sharyn Burling 0274974945.