Guy Scholefield

Guy Hardy Scholefield (17 June 1877 – 19 July 1963) was a New Zealand journalist, historian, archivist, librarian and editor, known primarily as the compiler of the 1940 version of the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography.

Early life Scholefield was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, on 17 June 1877. His father, John Hoick Scholefield, was an accountant. Marion, , was his mother. After his father's death in 1885, the family relocated to Milton, where he received his secondary education at Tokomairiro District High School.

Professional life Scholefield started work at 16 at the Bruce Herald as compositor and journalist. He then became a clerk at the Bruce Woollen Manufacturing Company, but produced material for print publications on the side. He moved to Wellington in 1899 and joined The New Zealand Times, where he enjoyed much journalistic freedom working on biographies of notable New Zealanders. He was admitted to the parliamentary press gallery in 1901.

Scholefield returned to New Zealand in late 1919 and settled in Masterton, where he subsequently became the editor of the regional newspaper Wairarapa Age. In addition, he was also made dominion archivist, a role which he saw as being important for research. He remained interested in biographical research on notable New Zealanders, and in 1940 published the two-volume Dictionary of New Zealand Biography as part of New Zealand's centennial. Scholefield intended for a third volume to be published at a later date but this never eventuated despite his enthusiasm for the project.

Family On 17 June 1908, Scholefield married Adela Lucy Stapylton Bree at St Paul's Cathedral in Wellington. They left for London later that same month. The Scholefields had two sons and one daughter. He died in Wellington on 19 July 1963.