Conrad Bollinger:

A scholar and a socialist

With the death of Conrad Bollinger the New Zealand progressive movement lost one of its best people. To some he was a consistently active worker in progressive causes, to others a writer or broadcaster, to this university he was recently acknowledged as an English scholar of original and first rate calibre. But if you knew Con at all well, you will feel that these kinds of description are quite inadequate to communicate the depth and variety of the man's character. I can only describe a few aspects. His contribution to New Zealanders deserves a full account, from the many different kinds of people to whom he was known and the hundreds of those whom he helped and worked with in his time.

To my knowledge he was active in all the major social issues in New Zealand since the end of World War 2, from the demonstrations in 1947 against Dutch rule in Indonesia to the movement opposing the Official Secrets Act in 1975. In his political life he was a member of the Communist Party for some years, later he tried the Labour Party, finding that neither was equal to the task of moving New Zealand any closer to socialism. He ended up as one of those unaligned socialists who could be counted on to support a protest movement He was always willing to give his time and talents to causes which could help the struggle against the oppressive forces which limit and distort so much in the lives of New Zealand people.

He worked in and for trade unions, was a journalist spoke on radio and appeared on television, was the author of 'Grogs Own Country a history of the liquor trade, and wrote a history of the seamans union titled 'Against the Wind' Con wrote the latter book in the middle of writing his doctoral thesis. Involved as he was with the thesis he thought that the seamans book was something important that had to be done. It was typical of Con that he could always be interrupted for a good cause or by someone who needed to talk to him.

At the memorial meeting of Victoria University James Bertram spoke of the outstanding and original quality of Con's doctoral thesis, which related the way in which the upsurge of drama in Elizabethan and Jacobean times was a reflection of the great social movements of its day. This obviously is of major importance not only for English scholars, but for those who think that ideas do not all from the sky, or are innate in the mind, but come from social practice

Con's talent as a humourist will be known to those who appeared with him in University Extravaganzas, and to those who went to see the satirical reviews put on by The Rubbishers in various strange locations around Wellington in the early 60's. In this as in all of his work Con brought a zest and enjoyment of living which it is some consolation to his friends to remember at this time.

Above all his compassion and friendliness towards people was unparalleled. He was not one of those Leftists who 'care about strangers' who talk of freedom and social injustice' and treat those they meet with reserve and suspicion. He had more than anyone I know overcome the tendency of our society to divide human beings against one another. He was ever hopeful that there were good possibilities in the most unlikely characters. He never accepted the capitalist ethic of 'self first.' That was a personal triumph of Con's that has a lesson for a lot of us.

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