▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁son ▁of ▁I vo ▁Ed gar ▁Ber tr am , ▁a ▁Pres by ter ian ▁minister , ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁Ev ely n ▁Susan ▁Bruce . ▁His ▁great - grand par ents ▁on ▁both ▁sides ▁had ▁arrived ▁in ▁Well ington ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s . ▁ ▁He ▁spent ▁ten ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁child hood ▁in ▁Melbourne ▁and ▁Sydney , ▁and ▁attended ▁church ▁schools . ▁He ▁returned ▁to ▁New ▁Zealand ▁for ▁secondary ▁school ing ▁at ▁Wait aki ▁Boys ' ▁High ▁School , ▁where ▁he ▁be fri ended ▁Charles ▁Bras ch ▁and ▁Ian ▁Mil ner ▁( the ▁son ▁of ▁head master ▁Frank ▁Mil ner ). ▁Between ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁he ▁studied ▁English ▁literature ▁at ▁A uck land ▁University ▁College , ▁where ▁he ▁met ▁the ▁third ▁of ▁his ▁closest ▁friends , ▁J . ▁A . ▁W . ▁Ben nett . ▁He ▁edited ▁a ▁literary ▁magazine , ▁Phoenix , ▁and ▁with ▁Ben nett ▁co - ed ited ▁a ▁Student ▁Christian ▁Mov ement ▁magazine , ▁Open ▁Windows . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁Ber tr am ▁received ▁a ▁Di pl oma ▁in ▁Journal ism ▁and ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁Rh odes ▁Sch olar ship . ▁ ▁Ber tr am ▁was ▁briefly ▁a ▁student ▁volunte er ▁special ▁const able ▁during ▁the ▁Queen ▁Street ▁ri ots ▁of ▁April ▁ 1 9 3 2 , ▁to ▁find ▁that ▁his ▁sympath ies ▁for ▁those ▁from ▁less - priv ile ged ▁background s ▁had