{{Short description|New Zealand historian, architect (1919–2018)}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=May 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox architect | name = John Stacpoole | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|OBE|size=100%}} | image = Bust of John Stacpoole - oblique.jpg | caption = Bust of John Stacpoole by Max Hart | birth_name = John Massy Stacpoole | birth_date = {{Birth date|1919|09|30|df=yes}} | birth_place = New Zealand | death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|09|05|1919|09|30|df=yes}} | death_place = Auckland, New Zealand | alma_mater = Auckland University College | influences = | influenced = | practice = Ministry of Works }}
'''John Massy Stacpoole''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|OBE}} (30 September 1919 – 5 September 2018) was a New Zealand historian, heritage architect and bibliophile, who was responsible for the restoration of many historic buildings and wrote on colonial architecture and social history in New Zealand.
==Early life and family== Born on 30 September 1919, Stacpoole was the son of Olive Stacpoole (née Lansdell) and Percy Stacpoole.<ref name="NZH 2018">{{cite news | url=http://notices.nzherald.co.nz/obituaries/nzherald-nz/obituary.aspx?n=john-massy-obe-stacpoole&pid=190147986&fhid=12595 | title=John Massy Stacpoole death notice | date=7 September 2018 | work=New Zealand Herald | access-date=3 October 2018}}</ref> He was descended from early Tasmanian and New Zealand colonial settlers, and was of Irish descent on his father's side.<ref name="CANZ">{{cite book |last=Stacpoole |first=John |title=Colonial Architecture in New Zealand |year=1976 |publisher=A.H. & A.W. Reed |location=Wellington |isbn=0-589-00930-3 |page=dust jacket}}</ref> Stacpoole was educated at Mount Albert Grammar School in Auckland from 1932 to 1935, becoming head librarian and a member of the school's hockey 1st XI.<ref name="MAGS">{{cite web |url=https://www.mags.school.nz/inductee-14-october-2013/ |title=Inductee |date=14 October 2013 |publisher=Mount Albert Grammar School |access-date=3 October 2018}}</ref> He later studied architecture at Auckland University College where he was a contemporary of Stephen Jelicich and Anthony Treadwell.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19451224.2.6 | title=Students' successes | date=24 December 1945 | work=Auckland Star | access-date=3 October 2018 | page=3}}</ref>
During World War II, Stacpoole served as an officer in the 2nd Battalion, Auckland Regiment.<ref name="MAGS"/><ref>{{cite news | url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19411226.2.17 | title=Officers' course | date=26 December 1941 | work=New Zealand Herald | access-date=3 October 2018 | page=2}}</ref> However, he contracted tuberculosis and spent 18 months of the war in hospital.<ref name="NZH 2005">{{cite news | url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10124262 | title=A gift that speaks volumes | date=7 May 2005 | work=New Zealand Herald | access-date=3 October 2018 | first=Michele | last=Hewitson}}</ref>
==Architectural practice== Following a period working in architectural practices in Auckland and London, Stacpoole joined the architectural division of the Ministry of Works, and soon became the advisory architect to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. He served on the latter organisation's council and as chair of its buildings classification committee.<ref name="CANZ"/> He was intimately involved as architect in the restoration and furnishing of numerous listed historic buildings in New Zealand, including Ewelme Cottage, Waimate North mission house, Alberton and Government House in Auckland, and Kemp House.<ref name="CANZ"/><ref name="MAGS"/>
==Historian== As an historian, Stacpoole wrote about New Zealand's architectural and social history, as well as family history and biography.<ref name="MAGS"/> He wrote seven books and many shorter works, and contributed nine biographies to the ''Dictionary of New Zealand Biography''.<ref name="MAGS"/>
===Selected publications=== * {{cite book |last=Stacpoole |first=John |title=William Mason: the first New Zealand architect |year=1971 |publisher=Oxford University Press }} * {{cite book |last1=Stacpoole |first1=John |last2=Beaven |first2=Peter |author-link2=Peter Beaven |title=Architecture 1820–1970 |year=1972 |publisher=A.H. & A.W. Reed |location=Wellington }} * {{cite book |last=Stacpoole |first=John |title=Colonial architecture in New Zealand |year=1976 |publisher=A.H. & A.W. Reed |location=Wellington |isbn=0-589-00930-3}} * {{cite web |last=Stacpoole |first=John |title=Pilgrim, Ada |year=1996 |work=Dictionary of New Zealand Biography |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3p26/pilgrim-ada |publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage}} * {{cite book |last=Stacpoole |first=John |title=Sailing to Bohemia: a life of the Honourable William Swainson |year=2007 |publisher=Puriri |location=Auckland |isbn=9780908943357}} * {{cite book |last=Stacpoole |first=John |title=Beyond the ivy curtain: the story of the Northern Club, 1869–2009 |year=2009 |edition=revised |publisher=Northern Club |location=Auckland |isbn=9780473158125}}
==Other activities== Stacpoole had a long involvement with the Auckland City Art Gallery and served as chair of the Mckelvie Trust, which administers the bequest of James Mackelvie to the gallery.<ref name="CANZ"/> In 2005, Stacpoole donated his collection of almost 1000 books of Irish literature to Auckland Libraries.<ref name="NZH 2005"/>
==Death== Stacpoole died in Auckland on 5 September 2018.<ref name="NZH 2018"/>
==Honours== In the 1975 Queen's Birthday Honours, Stacpoole was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the preservation of historic buildings.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=46595 |date=14 June 1975 |page=7406 |supp=3}}</ref> In 2004, he was elected an honorary life member of the Historic Places Trust.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://email.mailroom.co.nz/t/ViewEmail/r/8519EC0D6D6A521D2540EF23F30FEDED/12124120124D302D33C48669A65BFAC1 |title=John Stacpoole remembered |work=Heritage This Month |publisher=Heritage New Zealand |date=1 October 2018 |access-date=4 October 2018}}</ref> He was also a Fellow of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and in 2013 he was inducted into the Mount Albert Grammar School hall of distinction.<ref name="MAGS"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Stacpoole, John}} Category:1919 births Category:2018 deaths Category:People educated at Mount Albert Grammar School Category:University of Auckland alumni Category:New Zealand military personnel of World War II Category:New Zealand people of Irish descent Category:New Zealand architects Category:20th-century New Zealand historians Category:New Zealand architectural historians Category:New Zealand public servants Category:New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:21st-century New Zealand historians Category:New Zealand bibliophiles Category:Architects from Auckland