Paul Oestreicher (attended King’s High school 1945 – 1949) Humanities
Paul Oestreicher’s category could have been Genuinely Nice Person. He is almost revered in the King’s High School community but a more humble, caring person would be hard to find. Paul came to New Zealand with his parents from Germany just prior to the outbreak of World War II, due to his father being of German extraction. His father, a World war I veteran and pediatrician, was not allowed to practice under Nazi law.They found asylum in New Zealand in 1939, where he grew up. His academic, religious and humanitarian work since has touched thousands. He has been at the forefront of various international peace initiatives for decades and for 12 years was the Director of the Centre for International Reconciliation at Coventry Cathedral. Paul was canon emeritus of Coventry Cathedral and Quaker chaplain to the University of Sussex, he, writes about guilt and forgiveness in the Guardian, using both WW2 and the modern day ‘War on Terror’ as his points of reference. A lifelong pacifist, Paul was co-founder of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship in New Zealand and remains a Counselor of APF UK. In 1959 he joined the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and is still one of its Vice-Presidents. He joined Amnesty International at its inception in 1961 and was Chair of AI UK from 1975-1979.
James K Baxter (Attended King’s high School 1940-43) ARTS
Poet, dramatist and social commentator, Baxter is a giant of New Zealand literature who achieved notable success during his relatively short life. He is regarded as probably New Zealand’s greatest poet. He is also remembered for his stance on social issues and his criticism of bureaucracy and state at a time when it was difficult to be different. His compassion for the poor, dispossessed, young Maori and society’s unwanted lead to him founding a commune at Jerusalem on the Whanganui river. There as ‘Hemi’ he played host to society’s disaffected urban youth and there he is buried today.
