Carl Berendsen

Sir Carl August Berendsen (16 August 1890 – 12 September 1973) was a New Zealand civil servant and diplomat. He was the creator of the Department of External Affairs, and collaborated with Michael Joseph Savage. He was Secretary for External Affairs 1928–32, Head of the Prime Minister's Department 1932–43, and Secretary of the War Cabinet 1939–43. He attended all Imperial Conferences 1926–43, and assemblies of the League of Nations and later the United Nations.

Berendsen served as the country's first High Commissioner to Australia, from 1943 until 1944. He was then transferred to Washington, D.C., where he served as Minister to the United States between 1944 and 1952.

He was born in Sydney, Australia, and educated (LLM) at Victoria University College. Berendsen served with New Zealand forces in Samoa in World War I.

In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal. He was knighted in 1946.

He was a New Zealand cricketer who played four first-class matches for Wellington.