Iain Campbell became Headmaster of King's College at the start of Term Two, 1973 and ended his tenure in 1987.
He was an outstanding sportsman – as Head Boy of Canford School in Dorset he had scored 1277 runs with an average of 116 as a member of the First XI. He later represented England at hockey and had a final rugby trial for Scotland; he won blues at Oxford.
Prior to his teaching career, he joined a famous regiment, the Tenth Hussars, for his military training and then went on to teach at Rugby before becoming a Housemaster at another prominent public school, Cranleigh (Surrey).
He went on to be Headmaster of St Stephen’s College, Rhodesia for six years before his appointment as Headmaster of King's.
Significant events during Iain’s time at the College saw him bring divisive elements together and to bring about change that often wrangled those imbued with the traditions of the Geoffrey Greenbank years. Cadets, then caps disappeared; boxing ceased; corporal punishment by Prefects and fagging were outlawed; Weekly Boarding was introduced and then to cap it all, girls were introduced in 1980.
An Auckland Star interviewer heard Iain say that "school should be fun" – those who experienced his calm and caring leadership, students and staff alike, soon came to appreciate that this philosophy was no mean boast and appreciated that Mr Campbell was the right man after the ‘intensity and authoritarianism’ of Mr Greenbank.
