Lord Ranfurly: Of sacrifice and sport

The name Ranfurly is indelibly linked with New Zealand rugby tradition. However, the man who donated a shield to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union that bears his name today, was also a humanitarian, championing the dignity and selflessness of those who had served in the defence of the Empire. 

Born into an aristocratic Northern Irish family in 1856, Uchter John Mark Knox became 5th Earl of Ranfurly at the age of 19 after the death of his older brother in a shooting accident in Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia and Eritrea). Educated at Harrow and Cambridge, he spent several years fruit-growing in Australia, visiting New Zealand for the first time in 1888. Marked out for a career of note from an early age, the Earl of Ranfurly would rise to the position of Lord-in-Waiting to Queen Victoria by 1895. Governor of New Zealand for two terms (1897- 1904), Lord Ranfurly was the first member of the British aristocracy to hold the position, with earlier Governors picked from military or diplomatic backgrounds.

However, his position in the upper echelons of British society certainly didn’t see him lead a passive role while in office. On the contrary, Lord Ranfurly was an active Governor during his time in New Zealand. Believing strongly in the dignity of his position as the Queen’s representative in the fledgling colony (New Zealand wouldn’t become a Dominion until three years after he departed the post), Lord and Lady Ranfurly travelled incessantly during those seven years, racking up an astonishing 140,000km of travel across the length and breadth of New Zealand by ship, rail and coach.

It was perhaps inevitable, despite his lofty status back ‘home’, that he would become a well-respected figurehead in many pioneering communities throughout the provinces. This popularity would, quite literally, pay dividends later in Lord Ranfurly’s tenure, when he spearheaded a nationwide fundraising drive to help establish a war veteran’s home in Auckland.

New Zealand is perhaps no better exemplified than by his patronage of rugby union. Within two years of arriving in the country – and despite his declaration, initially at least, that fishing and shooting were more his cup of tea as far as recreational sporting activities went – Lord Ranfurly became Patron of the New Zealand Rugby Union.

It has been suggested that Lord Ranfurly saw the game of rugby union as an exemplar of the qualities required to perform with distinction on the battlefield. At his insistence, what was originally donated as a sporting cup became a shield at the conclusion of the Boer War in1902.

While the specific reason for the change has been lost to history, several writers suggest Lord Ranfurly felt the connection between ‘shield’ and ‘battle’ was a more fitting tribute for the times. That same year, the Ranfurly Shield was contested for the first time, with Auckland the inaugural winners of what would become colloquially known in the decades since as the ‘Log o’ Wood’.

The conclusion of the Boer War (or South African War, as it was contemporarily referred to) held further resonance for Lord Ranfurly. Within days of the peace declaration in South Africa, Lord Ranfurly put forth a proposal – faithfully broadcast in newspapers all over New Zealand – that something significant and meaningful should be done to commemorate those who had fought.

“Instead of putting up numerous local monuments, New Zealanders should commemorate the fallen with a single national living monument, a home for war veterans,” he wrote. “The home would not be for general use but specifically for those who had fought and won the Empire’s battles. Who had made the Empire what it is.”

Lord Ranfurly’s energetic fundraising campaign to help establish just such a facility took the form of fairs, sporting events, musical concerts, ‘bazaars’, and donations large and small from all over the country. The peer of the realm from the other side of the world harnessed a sense of unity in New Zealand’s early communities, and donations would eventually amount to nearly half the cost of the entire build, or around $320,000 in today’s money.

The Ranfurly Veterans Home (as it was initially known) became a reality in 1903. Built on a parcel of land that was previously part of Three Kings Farm – which was owned by prominent Auckland businessman Alfred Buckland, after which Bucklands Beach is named – Ranfurly House would quickly become a cornerstone of compassion.

Residents when it opened included Veterans of the Crimean War (1854-1856) and New Zealand Wars (1845-1872). Naturally, with the country’s active participation in subsequent conflicts in the early 20th Century, Ranfurly Veterans Home saw an increase in inhabitants over time and was physically added to, particularly after World War II.

As Veteran numbers dwindled in the latter part of the century, however, the property gradually fell into disrepair. Thankfully, it has now taken on a second life, becoming the cherished centrepiece of Generus Living’s Ranfurly Village, which was developed onthe site. In partnership with landowner The Ranfurly Veterans’ Trust, Generus Living undertook a meticulous refurbishment of the building, which has been fully restored to its original glory – a place for Auckland retirees to access and enjoy.

Lord Ranfurly died in England on October 1st, 1933, at the age of 77. However, his story – and his connection to New Zealand – didn’t end with his passing. Remarkably for such a well-known public figure, by the early 2000s, the details of his grave’s location in Lansdown Cemetery in Bath had been lost. The grave was discovered again by chance in 2012 but was found to be in a derelict state.

The following year, Generus Living, supported by The Ranfurly Veterans’ Trust and Auckland RSA, completed a full restoration of the gravesite. A rededication ceremony was held onsite and attended by, among others, then-New Zealand High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Sir Lockwood Smith; President of the NZRFU, Ian McRae; All Black great, Sean Fitzpatrick; Brigadier Michael Dudman, representing the Auckland RSA; Graham Wilkinson, Director Generus Living; and Rose Simmonds, great great granddaughter of Lord Ranfurly.

The restoration and rededication of Lord Ranfurly’s final resting place acted as a mark of respect to an inclusive vision that, today, seems modern beyond his time, along with his tangible contributions to New Zealand, to rugby, and the country’s war veterans.