About David Beattie
Sir David Stuart Beattie, (29 February 1924 – 4 February 2001) was an Australian-born New Zealand judge who served as the 14th governor-general of New Zealand from 1980 to 1985. During the 1984 constitutional crisis, Beattie was nearly forced to dismiss the sitting prime minister, Robert Muldoon. == Early life and family == Born in Sydney, Australia, on 29 February 1924, Beattie was the son of Una Mary and Joseph Nesbitt Beattie. He was brought up by his mother in Takapuna, New Zealand, and educated at Dilworth School in Auckland. In 1941, at age 17, Beattie joined the army during the Second World War, and rose to the rank of sergeant before transferring to the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve as a sub-lieutenant. He played rugby union for New Zealand services teams in 1944 and 1945. In 1950, Beattie married Norma Margaret Sarah Macdonald, and the couple had seven children. == Legal career == After the war, Beattie studied law at Auckland University College, and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1949, before setting up in private practice as a barrister and solicitor. He was made a Queen's Counsel in 1964, and served as president of the Auckland District Law Society in 1965. In 1969, Beattie was appointed as a Supreme Court judge (the old name for the High Court, not to be confused with the new final court of appeal, the Supreme Court of New Zealand), serving on the bench until 1980.
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