Obituary Mr Cedric Mentiplay

Press, 25 February 1986, Page 7

Obituary Mr Cedric Mentiplay

Mr Cedric Mentiplay, a prominent political reporter, died in Wellington yesterday. He was 71. Mr Mentiplay retired in 1979 after 27 years as a Parliamentary reporter and was a life member of the press gallery. He was the Parliamentary reporter for “The Press” for 22 years. Mr Mentiplay was born in Dunedin and educated at Wellington and Rongotai Colleges and Victoria University, graduating with an M.A. degree with honours in history and diplomas in journalism and education.

He worked for the “Evening Post” in Wellington for nine years before joining the Army in World War 11. He was wounded after serving two years as an N.C.O. with the 2nd New Zealand Division in the Middle East, and became a war correspondent with the 2nd N.Z.E.F. in North Africa.

After the war, Mr Mentiplay was the Australian correspondent for the

New Zealand Press Association from 1945 to 1953, when he was appointed to represent the “Auckland Star” and the

Christchurch “Star-Sun” in the press gallery. He joined “The Press” in 1957. Mr Mentiplay was a prolific short-story writer and many of his stories were published overseas. In 1979 he wrote “A Fighting Quality,” an appreciation of the New Zealand soldier, and his political column in

“Truth” appeared until a few weeks before his death.

He was a well-known surf life-saver and a life member of the Surf LifeSaving Association of New Zealand.