Ted Pilkington
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | Richard Edwin Pilkington 2 August 1908 Waihi, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 21 February 1994 (aged 85) Christchurch, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Schoolteacher | ||||||||||||||
Spouse |
Edith Quinlan
(m. 1935; died 1990) | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Country | New Zealand | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Lawn bowls | ||||||||||||||
| Club |
| ||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||
| National finals | Men's pairs champion (1953) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Richard Edwin Pilkington (2 August 1908 – 21 February 1994) was a New Zealand lawn bowls player. He represented his country at two British Empire and Commonwealth Games, winning the gold medal in the men's pairs at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
Early life and family
Born in Waihi on 2 August 1908, Pilkington was the son of Martha and Richard Nathaniel Pilkington.[1] He qualified as a schoolteacher in 1927.[2]
On 2 January 1935, Pilkington married Edith Margaret Quinlan at the Church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Otorohanga, and the couple went on to have two children.[3][4]
Bowls career
In 1953, Pilkington (skip), partnered with Jack Benson, won the men's pairs title at the New Zealand championships in Auckland, representing the Balmoral Bowling Club.[5] Pilkington's father had won the same title in 1931 and 1935.[6] Also at the 1953 national championships, Pilkington finished third in the men's singles.[7]
At the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Pilkington won the men's pairs gold medal alongside John Morris. He competed at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games as part of the men's fours team that placed sixth overall.[8]
Pilkington continued his involvement in lawn bowls as a player, and also later was the Auckland regional coach.[9]
Teaching career
Pilkington was appointed specialist assistant at Otorohanga District High School in 1931.[10] He remained there until 1940, when he became sole teacher at Maraetai School.[11] In 1945, he was appointed head teacher at Matarau School,[12] and in 1949 he moved to Ohaeawai School, where he was also head teacher.[13] He later taught in Wellsford.
Later life
Pilkington moved to Christchurch from Auckland in 1983, and joined the Elmwood Bowling Club.[9] He died in Christchurch on 21 February 1994, at the age of 85,[4] having been predeceased by his wife, Edith Pilkington, in 1990.[14]
References
- ^ "Birth search: registration number 1908/12554". Births, marriages & deaths online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
- ^ "Examination results". Waikato Times. Vol. 102, no. 17234. 20 October 1927. p. 7. Retrieved 30 December 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ "Wedding bells". Waipa Post. Vol. 50, no. 3563. 5 January 1935. p. 6. Retrieved 30 December 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ a b "Deaths". The Press. 22 February 1994. p. 51. Retrieved 30 December 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ "R. E. Pilkington wins pairs title". The Press. Vol. 89, no. 26943. 20 January 1953. p. 9. Retrieved 30 December 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ McLintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Bowls, men's outdoor—tournament winners". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
- ^ "Richard Pilkington". The Press. 9 March 1994. p. 39. Retrieved 30 December 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ Ted Pilkington at the New Zealand Olympic Committee
- ^ a b "Sidelines". The Press. 9 September 1983. p. 11. Retrieved 30 December 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ "Local and general". Waipa Post. Vol. 42, no. 3251. 22 January 1931. p. 4. Retrieved 30 December 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ "Social and personal". Te Awamutu Courier. Vol. 60, no. 4263. 5 April 1940. p. 4. Retrieved 30 December 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ "Teachers' posts". Auckland Star. Vol. 76, no. 144. 20 June 1945. p. 6. Retrieved 30 December 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ "Teachers appointed". Northern Advocate. 3 February 1949. p. 6. Retrieved 30 December 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ "Deaths". The Press. 9 April 1990. p. 47. Retrieved 30 December 2025 – via PapersPast.