Jack Newman

Who was Jack Newman?

Sir Jack Newman, CBE, was a New Zealand sportsman and business executive.

Newman was born at Brightwater, near Nelson in 1902. He attended Nelson College from 1917 to 1920.

As a cricketer, Newman earned three Test caps in 1932 and 1933 as a left-arm medium-pace bowler, being the first New Zealander to reach Test cricket direct from country cricket, in his case Nelson in the South Island. He played his last game for Nelson at the age of 53. He was a Test selector from 1958 to 1963, and president of the New Zealand Cricket Council from 1964 to 1967.

Newman was also an accomplished rugby player.

Away from sport, he was an executive in his family's transportation business, which is now the TNL Group, retiring as Chairman in 1980. In retirement he founded the air charter company Newmans Air which merged with Ansett in 1986.

In the 1963 Queen's Birthday Honours, Newman was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to tourism in New Zealand. He was appointed a Knight Bachelor for services to the travel industry, commerce and the community in the 1977 Silver Jubilee and Queen's Birthday Honours.

He died in Nelson in 1996.