Russell Matthews
Sir Russell Matthews OBE (19 July 1896 – 25 November 1987) was a New Zealand civil engineer, roading contractor, businessman, horticulturist and philanthropist. He was born in New Plymouth, New Zealand, on 19 July 1896.[1] Together with his wife Mary, Matthews purchased a property on Mangorei Road, New Plymouth in 1931 and began developing a substantial garden during the Great Depression. The garden, which was named Tūpare, is owned by the Taranaki Regional Council and has been awarded a six star rating by the New Zealand Garden Council, one of only 13 in New Zealand.[2]
He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1971 New Year Honours, for services to the community,[3] and a Knight Bachelor in the 1982 New Year Honours, for services to horticulture and the community.[4]
In 2018, Matthews was posthumously inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ Donald, Mary. "Russell Matthews". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ^ "History of Tupare". Taranaki Regional Council. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ London Gazette (supplement), No. 45264, 31 December 1970. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
- ^ "No. 48839". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 31 December 1981. p. 39.
- ^ "Past laureates". Business Hall of Fame. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
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- 1896 births
- 1987 deaths
- New Zealand horticulturists
- New Zealand philanthropists
- New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- New Zealand Knights Bachelor
- People from New Plymouth
- 20th-century New Zealand businesspeople
- 20th-century New Zealand engineers
- 20th-century philanthropists
- New Zealand business biography stubs