Mountain Scene
July 28, 2021
Murray Cockburn’s one of Queenstown’s real characters. A prolific architect who’s practised
around New Zealand and the South Pacific for more than half a century, he can also claim to have renamed a Queenstown suburb. PHILIP CHANDLER visits him at his eccentric local home and learns about his exciting life and times
If you expect architects to be a bit boring, you’ve not met Murray Cockburn.
The 82-year-old who for 50 years has largely split his time and his architectural practice
between Queenstown and Fiji is still designing houses despite being semi-retired.
However, the bon vivant also continues playing the coin game, spoofing, with his mates,