Obituary: William Bryce Harland

Bryce Harland

William Bryce Harland, diplomat.  Died aged 74

Bryce Harland was a New Zealand diplomat for almost 40 years. That is as an official representing his country abroad. By definition the word also means a tactful person.

Harland's job involved dealing with such things as the future of New Zealand's dwindling butter exports to Britain, building early relations with China and establishing ties with North Vietnam, after New Zealand fought it during the Vietnam war.

There were challenging subjects like the crumbling Anzus defence alliance, our anti-nuclear legislation and support for Britain in the Falklands War.

Harland was our first Ambassador to China, from 1973 to 1975, New Zealand's permanent representative to the United Nations from 1982 to 1985 and High Commissioner to London from 1985 until retirement in 1991.

He has been described as a committed and enthusiastic diplomat, with a background of an MA from Victoria University and attendance at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston in 1955.

By the time Bryce Harland went to China in 1973 he was already regarded as an expert on Asian affairs and believed there was a "pretty useful role" for New Zealand in bridging the gap between the Chinese and southeast Asians. The embassy in China started with about six people (the Russians then had 300). But Harland said the Chinese were aware of New Zealand and had quite a favourable view.

"Part of it is certainly due to Rewi Alley. He is probably the best-known foreigner in China and everyone knows he is a New Zealander," he said.

In 1975, as the first Ambassador to North Vietnam after New Zealand had "recognised" Hanoi two years earlier, Harland found its leaders wanting to put past differences behind them.

They wanted aid from wherever they could get it.

During his UN term, Harland urged closer co-operation between Governments and law enforcement agencies fighting drug trafficking.

He was also, in 1983, hitting out at South Africa's continuing apartheid as "the most glaring example of racial discrimination".

That same year New Zealand voted with Britain and seven other countries against a draft resolution to the UN General Assembly seeking talks between Britain and Argentina over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

Harland noted the draft resolution was sponsored by Argentina and others - and Argentina had made it clear that the outcome of negotiations must be the transfer of sovereignty to itself.

"Such a resolution can hardly be expected to lead to real negotiations," he said.

As High Commissioner in London, won plaudits for his "enormous contribution" to the success of negotiations aimed at continued access for New Zealand butter and lamb to Europe.

Behind that success was not just sincerity, enthusiasm and drive but also, Herald reporter Bernard Orsman noted in 1989, "almost total obsession".

Harland was not popular with his staff. There was "a widespread view in Wellington and London that Harland is a difficult man to work with", Orsman wrote after an interview in London, with an uncompromising leadership style.

Harland's determination and intellectualism did, however, win British regard. As he himself used to say in every interview he gave in those days: "My job is to seek to influence the British Government in ways which are helpful to New Zealand and everything else is secondary to that."

Bryce Harland, who died in Auckland, was twice married - to Rosemary Gordon (dissolved in 1976) and then to Anne Blackburn. Of four sons, three survive him.