Basic Biographical Details

Name: John William ('Jack') Mawson
Designation:  
Born: 1 December 1886
Died: 1966
Bio Notes: John William Mawson, the second son of Thomas Hayton Mawson and his wife Anna, the daughter of Edward Prentice (1830-1870) a surgeon from North Walsham was born at Windermere on 1 December 1886. He was articled to Dan Gibson in 1900, commencing a week after Gibson’s partnership with his father was dissolved.

About 1908 his training was interrupted when he contacted tuberculosis of the spine. As part of his convalescence, he was sent to stay with relatives in the Wairarapa, New Zealand, acquiring an abiding love of the country. On his return to Britain in 1910, he enrolled in the recently established Department of Civic Design at the University of Liverpool, completing a Certificate of Civic Design in 1911, and a Diploma in 1912. Almost immediately Thomas Mawson dispatched him to the newly opened Canadian office in Vancouver which he ran with his cousin, Robert Mattocks and a staff of five.

Despite the lifelong effects of his tubercular spine, he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1916 where he served in administrative roles, before being discharged in October 1917 to "proceed to Salonica (sic) on special work for the Government of Greece.” This "special work" led to him heading the Macedonian Reconstruction Committee, which faced the massive job of replacing and reconstructing the 237 settlement affected, or destroyed by the fires in Salonika. It was town planning work undertaken in an environment of intense political intrigue which prompted Mawson to reflect in later years "what I don't know about political graft and intrigue is hardly worth knowing",

John Mawson returned from Salonika in 1920, to new projects in England, but by 1926 he described himself as "tired and somewhat discouraged after 20 years of pioneer work in England, Canada and various European countries, and somewhat broken in health."

In 1928 he accepted the position of Director of Town Planning for New Zealand for five years in succession to Reginald Hammond, a young architect-town planner who had rapidly become disillusioned with the position and in 1927 had declined to renew his contract. The partnership with his brother was dissolved on 1 April 1928 and John commenced his duties in New Zealand at the end of September of that year. His initial enthusiasm evaporated and he found himself as disillusioned as his predecessor, returning to England in 1933. Here he rejoined the family firm, but failed to settle, returning to New Zealand in 1937 in the lesser role of Town Planning Officer.

World War II and the plans for post-war reconstruction through the Organisation for National Development (OND) offered John Mawson his final opportunity to promote his all embracing concept of regional planning that integrated land use planning with economic and social planning. In 1941 he instituted, with the Christchurch City Council, a local authority always active in town planning, the Christchurch Metropolitan Planning Scheme, which was intended to co-ordinate the growth and development of the greater Christchurch. Again Mawson's schemes came to nothing as the OND was replaced by the newly formed Ministry of Works, under the control of John Cox, a lawyer with no formal town planning training. Mawson, with his strong commitment to town planning as a profession was left in a difficult position. After spending a dispiriting time with the new Ministry, Mawson finally resigned from government service in 1947, moving to Kerikeri where he ran a successful town planning consultancy until the early 1960s.

John William Mawson died in 1966 in Kerkeri, New Zealand aged 79. He had married. Gussie Bond and they had two children - David Mawson (see separate entry) and Anne or Anna Mawson. (Anna Kemble Welch)

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 31101 Rogers Building , Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaPrivate/business(?)1916 Army record
Item 2 of 3New ZealandPrivate/business19281933Director of Town Planning to the New Zealand Government
Item 3 of 3New Zealand 19371966 

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 1Thomas H Mawson & Sons1912(?)1928Partner 

References

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1The Times30 June 1928  p13 col B - appointment as Director of Town Planning