Thomas Cedric Larkin ONZM: 17 November 1917-17 August 2021.

• Jurisdiction: New Zealand
• Date: 01 November 2021
• Author: McGibbon, Ian
• Published date: 01 November 2021
• Author: McGibbon, Ian

The passing of centenarian Tom Larkin in August cut a link to the early New Zealand diplomatic service. Recruited to the Department of External Affairs less than three years after its establishment, he was one of the small coterie who were present at the creation.

Born in Wellington, the son of railways employee H.J Larkin and his former schoolteacher wife Irene (nee O'Connor), Tom spent his early life in a variety of places, including Otaki, Auckland and from 1929 New Plymouth after his father became stationmaster there. He attended Central School that year, and won a junior national scholarship before going on to New Plymouth Boys High School, where he was dux in 1934. With the help of a Taranaki Scholarship, he attended Victoria University College from 1936, graduating three years later with a BA and in 1940 with an MA (Hons) with second class honours in English. He shared the Tinline Scholarship in 1939 and was one of VUC's nominations for a Rhodes Scholarship that year.

Tom excelled as a sportsman, both at rugby and cricket, representing Taranaki in the latter code from 1934 to 1939. After the war he would play senior cricket in Wellington for a decade as a member of the...