Peter McWhannell

SportCountryNew ZealandSportLawn bowlsClubHataitai

Peter McWhannell (3 March 1875 – 26 July 1943) was a New Zealand lawn bowls player who competed for his country at the 1930 British Empire Games, winning a silver medal in the pairs competition.

Early life and family

Born in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1875,^[1] McWhannell served his engineering apprenticeship on the Clyde.^[2] He emigrated to New Zealand in the early 1900s, initially settling in Dunedin before moving to Wellington.^[2] In 1905 he married Mary Cook McCole Love,^[3] and the couple went on to have two children.^[2]

McWhannell was foreman at Robertson's foundry in Wellington, and subsequently established his own engineering firm of Ross, Jory, and McWhannell.^[2]

Lawn bowls

Initially a member of the Newtown Bowling Club, McWhannell moved to the Hataitai Bowling Club when it was established in 1910, and served as that club's president in 1918.^[2] He skipped Hataitai teams to five titles at Wellington tournaments, and won numerous club championships.^[2] He was the Hataitai singles champion in 1912, 1917, 1920 and 1935; pairs champion in 1916, 1924, 1927 and 1937; and fours champion in 1918, 1929, 1935, 1938 and 1939.^[2]

At the 1930 British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, he competed in the pairs and fours.^[4] He won the silver medal with his partner William Fielding in the pairs event.^[5] The foursome of McWhannell, Fielding, Edward Leach, and Harold Frost finished in fifth place in the fours competition.^[6][7]

Not long before his death, McWhannell was elected a life member of the Hataitai Bowling Club.^[2]

Death

McWhannell died at his home in the Wellington suburb of Hataitai on 26 July 1943,^[2] and his ashes were buried at Karori Cemetery.^[8][9]

References