Campbell Smith

Sydney Campbell Smith (25 February 1925 – 13 July 2015), generally known as Campbell Smith, was a New Zealand playwright, poet, wood engraver and arts administrator.

Biography Born in Masterton in 1925, Smith was the son of Annie and Syd Smith, a signwriter. He served a trade apprenticeship, and then spent a year at Auckland Teachers' Training College. and Waikato Museum.

As a playwright, Smith wrote 24 plays, many of which are about notable New Zealanders, including Through Dark Clouds Shining about Ettie Rout; Mabel, based on the life of Mabel Howard; Frances Hodgkins: Painter about Frances Hodgkins; He was also a poet, and penned The Journey, a nativity story in verse, written in 1958 but not published until 2010, and which is illustrated with his own wood engravings. and in 2012 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Waikato.

He died at Tairua on 13 July 2015.