The MW Bro. William Plunket. Governor and Grand Master of New Zealand.

 

The Most Worshipful Brother William Lee Plunket
Governor of New Zealand, installed for the third time Grand master of the Free and Accepted Masons of New Zealand, at Auckland.  May 9 1906

MW Bro William Lee Plunket. 5th Baron Plunket, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, KStJ, DL (19 December 1864 – 24 January 1920) was a British diplomat and colonial administrator. He was Governor of New Zealand from 1904 to 1910.

Interestingly however, despite popular opinion - it was Lord Plunket's wife (m 1894), Lady Victoria Alexandrina Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, who gave her name to the Plunket Society, a New Zealand society promoting the health and well-being of mothers and children and was a patron of the Mothercraft Training Society.

SIR WILLIAM LEE PLUNKET. Educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Dublin (where he graduated B.A. and was captain of the rowing club), he joined the diplomatic service in 1889 as honorary attaché to the embassy in Rome.

In 1892 he was transferred to Constantinople. Retiring in 1894, he became private secretary to Lord Cadogan, Lord-lieutenant of Ireland, and was decorated with the C.V.O. for his services in arranging the details of the visit of Queen Victoria.

As private secretary to Lord Dudley, he had to do the same work in connection with two visits paid by King Edward VII (who raised him to K.C.V.O.).

In 1904 Lord Plunket was appointed Governor of New Zealand, a position he held with success until the end of his term (which was extended to 1910).

The Plunket Shield cricket competition was instigated in October 1906 with the donation of a shield by Lord Plunket.

He was a Freemason in Ireland and Grand Master in New Zealand. He was also a knight of grace of St John of Jerusalem.

He died on 24 Jan 1920 in Kennington London as is buried at Putney Vale cemetery.

Resources:

Masonica 23 May 2026

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/118646578/william_lee-plunket

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Plunket,_5th_Baron_Plunket

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_May,_Baroness_Plunket