John Darwin (statistician)
Encyclopedia
John Haddrick Darwin was Government Statistician
of New Zealand
from 1980 to 1984 and a member of the 1985–1986 Royal Commission on the Electoral System
which recommended MMP
. He was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the New Zealand Statistical Association in 2005.
, where he was dux
, and graduated from the University of Canterbury
with a Masters of Science degree with first class honours. He worked for the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
from 1944 to 1947, when he left to study overseas at the Cambridge University and the University of Manchester
; he had double doctorates in English and Mathematics. He rejoined the DSIR on his return to New Zealand, working in the Applied Mathematics Division. He took charge of its mathematical statistics section in 1963.
) as Deputy Government Statistician in 1978. He was appointed Government Statistician and head of the Department of Statistics in 1980. He retired in 1984.
Statistics New Zealand
Statistics New Zealand is the national statistical office of New Zealand.-Organisation:New Zealand's Minister of Statistics is Maurice Williamson who serves as a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives and holds several other posts within government...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
from 1980 to 1984 and a member of the 1985–1986 Royal Commission on the Electoral System
Royal Commission on the Electoral System
The Royal Commission on the Electoral System was formed in New Zealand in 1985, and reported in 1986. The decision to form the Royal Commission was taken by the Fourth Labour government, after the Labour party had received more votes, yet won fewer seats than the National Party in both the 1978 and...
which recommended MMP
Mixed member proportional representation
Mixed-member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system originally used to elect representatives to the German Bundestag, and nowadays adopted by numerous legislatures around the world...
. He was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the New Zealand Statistical Association in 2005.
Early life
He was born in Christchurch, and died in Wellington. He attended Christ's College, CanterburyChrist's College, Canterbury
Christ's College, Christchurch is an independent, Anglican, secondary, day and boarding school for boys, located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand....
, where he was dux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
, and graduated from the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
with a Masters of Science degree with first class honours. He worked for the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
Several countries have organizations called the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, abbreviated DSIR.-United Kingdom:...
from 1944 to 1947, when he left to study overseas at the Cambridge University and the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
; he had double doctorates in English and Mathematics. He rejoined the DSIR on his return to New Zealand, working in the Applied Mathematics Division. He took charge of its mathematical statistics section in 1963.
Career in Department of Statistics
Darwin joined the Department of Statistics (later to become Statistics New ZealandStatistics New Zealand
Statistics New Zealand is the national statistical office of New Zealand.-Organisation:New Zealand's Minister of Statistics is Maurice Williamson who serves as a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives and holds several other posts within government...
) as Deputy Government Statistician in 1978. He was appointed Government Statistician and head of the Department of Statistics in 1980. He retired in 1984.