Derrick Rodney Breach (1933-1996) was a senior lecturer in the School of Mathematics and Statistics and taught at the University of Canterbury from 1970 until 1996, when, at age 62, he died suddenly of a heart attack. His research interests were in combinatorics. Derrick also was a keen amateur painter, turning out works ranging from the abstract (these could be described as geometrical/combinatorial) to topographical watercolours, and a collector of paintings by New Zealand artists. He was also a poet, though few of his works have come to light.

Besides his published work, Derrick left another masterpiece for posterity: a vast collection of polyhedral models which during his career he painstakingly constructed from coloured cartridge paper.

Derrick’s artwork can be found at a range of galleries and in the care of libraries around New Zealand, such as at Te Papa, Kā Kohika o Macmillan Brown, Christchurch City Libraries, Victoria University of Wellington. Much of his academic work and some of his poetry can be found on the National Library website.

An article by Emeritus Professor Brian Woods about Derrick was published in the New Zealand Mathematical Society newsletter in 1996.

Derrick was a highly private man, and not much is known about his life outside of his mathematics and his art. If you have memories of Derrick and would like to share, please feel free to contact us.