Gordon Minhinnick


Sir Gordon Edward George Minhinnick was a New Zealand cartoonist.
He was born at Torpoint, Cornwall, United Kingdom, educated at Kelly College, Devon, and left for New Zealand in 1921 where he studied architecture for four years. In 1926 he joined the New Zealand Free Lance as cartoonist, but soon transferred to the Christchurch Sun and thence to the Auckland Sun. He joined the New Zealand Herald as a political cartoonist in 1930 and although he officially retired in 1976, contributed cartoons to the newspaper for more than another decade.
In the 1950 King's Birthday Honours Minhinnick was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, and in 1976 was knighted for his services to cartooning.

Career

Grant describes Minhinnick as "pre-eminent among New Zealand cartoonists. His work for the country's largest newspaper was widely syndicated and of a consistently high standard; witty rather than barbed, and with a feel for caricature that gave the cartoons an added dimension". Minhinnick was strongly influenced by New Zealand cartoonist David Low, and was offered, but declined, Low's job at the London Evening Standard when Low left the London newspaper in 1949. Minhinnick also taught Les Gibbard in Auckland during the 1950s.
Minhinnick illustrated several popular New Zealand books, and he regularly published collections of his work.