NZHistory, New Zealand history online - mps /tags/mps en Edward Jerningham Wakefield /people/edward-jerningham-wakefield <div class="field field-name-field-biography field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Edward Jerningham Wakefield, born in 1820, was the only son of New Zealand Company founder <a href="/node/5767">Edward Gibbon Wakefield</a>. The young Wakefield’s life was inevitably bound up in his father’s colonial and political ventures. He acted as clerk and secretary, travelling with his father to Canada in 1838, and then with his uncle Colonel William Wakefield to New Zealand, where he arrived on the <em>Tory</em> in August 1839. As agent and explorer for the New Zealand Company, he was responsible for its land purchasing activities in Whanganui in 1840.</p><p>In 1844, after being rebuked by Governor Robert FitzRoy for his dealings in Whanganui, Wakefield returned to London, where he continued working for the New Zealand Company and the Canterbury Association. In 1845 he wrote <a title="See this book on NZETC website" href="http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/name-150134.html"><em>Adventure in New Zealand</em>,</a> a lively piece of New Zealand Company propaganda in which he recalled his explorations and the establishment of the first settlements at Wellington, Whanganui and New Plymouth. The restless Wakefield returned to New Zealand with the Canterbury settlers on the <em>Lady Nugent</em> in 1850.</p><p>Elected to the House of Representatives for Christchurch Country in 1853, he held the seat until 1855. He persisted in standing for the House, but suffered defeats in 1855, 1858 and 1861 before succeeding in Christchurch City East in 1871. Wakefield was marked throughout his life, and beyond it, by a damning reputation for flawed and wasted brilliance. Most commentators, including his own father, have dismissed him as a wastrel and a failure&nbsp;– talented and intelligent, but reckless, weak-willed, contentious, promiscuous and generally unstable.</p><p>The most acclaimed and most enduring achievements of his life came in his early 20s, when he lived and then wrote <em>Adventure</em>. His later life was clouded by alcoholism and disgrace, and he died in obscurity in the Ashburton Old Men’s Home in 1879.</p><p><em>By Ronda Cooper; adapted by Matthew Tonks</em></p><ul><li><em></em><a href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1w5/wakefield-edward-jerningham">Read full biography of Edward Jerningham Wakefield (DNZB)</a></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="service-links"><a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/edward-jerningham-wakefield&amp;title=Edward%20Jerningham%20Wakefield" title="Submit this post on reddit.com." class="service-links-reddit" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/reddit.png" alt="Reddit" /> Reddit</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/edward-jerningham-wakefield&amp;text=Edward%20Jerningham%20Wakefield" title="Share this on Twitter" class="service-links-twitter" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/twitter.png" alt="Twitter" /> Twitter</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/edward-jerningham-wakefield&amp;t=Edward%20Jerningham%20Wakefield" title="Share on Facebook." class="service-links-facebook" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/facebook.png" alt="Facebook" /> Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&amp;bkmk=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/edward-jerningham-wakefield&amp;title=Edward%20Jerningham%20Wakefield" title="Bookmark this post on Google." class="service-links-google" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/google.png" alt="Google" /> Google</a> <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/edward-jerningham-wakefield&amp;title=Edward%20Jerningham%20Wakefield" title="Thumb this up at StumbleUpon" class="service-links-stumbleupon" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/stumbleit.png" alt="StumbleUpon" /> StumbleUpon</a></div> 52729 at http://www.nzhistory.net.nz /people/edward-jerningham-wakefield#comments Edward Jerningham Wakefield, born in 1820, was the only son of New Zealand Company founder Edward Gibbon Wakefield. The young Wakefield’s life was inevitably bound up in his father’s colonial and political ventures. He acted as clerk and secretary, travelling with his father to Canada in 1838, and then with his uncle Colonel William Wakefield to New Zealand, where he arrived on the Tory in August 1839. As agent and explorer for the New Zealand Company, he was responsible for its land purchasing activities in Whanganui in 1840. <a href="/people/edward-jerningham-wakefield"><img src="/files/styles/mini/public/edward-jerningham-wakefield-bio.jpg?itok=4cPeCO6l" alt="Media file" /></a> Iriaka Matiu Rātana /media/photo/iriaka-matiu-ratana <div class="field field-name-field-primary-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/files/styles/fullsize/public/iriaka-ratana.jpg?itok=mNuslpau" width="500" height="380" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>With fellow Labour MPs, Iriaka Rātana speaks to supporters of the Rātana political movement on Manukorihi marae, Waitara, in 1966. She was the first Māori woman to be elected to Parliament.</p><p><a href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5r7/ratana-iriaka-matiu">Read more about Iriaka Rātana here.</a></p></div></div></div> <div class="field field-name-field-reference field-type-text-long field-label-above clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><p>Credit:</p></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p><a href="http://www.archives.govt.nz/">Archives New Zealand – Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga</a> <br />Reference: AAMK W3495 21 21B</p><p>Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.</p></div> </div> </div> <div class="service-links"><a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/iriaka-matiu-ratana&amp;title=Iriaka%20Matiu%20R%C4%81tana" title="Submit this post on reddit.com." class="service-links-reddit" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/reddit.png" alt="Reddit" /> Reddit</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/iriaka-matiu-ratana&amp;text=Iriaka%20Matiu%20R%C4%81tana" title="Share this on Twitter" class="service-links-twitter" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/twitter.png" alt="Twitter" /> Twitter</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/iriaka-matiu-ratana&amp;t=Iriaka%20Matiu%20R%C4%81tana" title="Share on Facebook." class="service-links-facebook" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/facebook.png" alt="Facebook" /> Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&amp;bkmk=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/iriaka-matiu-ratana&amp;title=Iriaka%20Matiu%20R%C4%81tana" title="Bookmark this post on Google." class="service-links-google" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/google.png" alt="Google" /> Google</a> <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/iriaka-matiu-ratana&amp;title=Iriaka%20Matiu%20R%C4%81tana" title="Thumb this up at StumbleUpon" class="service-links-stumbleupon" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/stumbleit.png" alt="StumbleUpon" /> StumbleUpon</a></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/tags-126" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">iriaka ratana</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/suffrage" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">suffrage</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/maori-mps" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">maori mps</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/tags-127" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">watara</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/labour-party" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">labour party</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/mps" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">mps</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/free-tagging/women-in-politics" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">women in politics</a></div></div></div> 52597 at http://www.nzhistory.net.nz /media/photo/iriaka-matiu-ratana#comments <p>Labour MP, Iriaka Rātana speaking to supporters of the Rātana political movement on Manukorihi marae, Waitara.</p> <a href="/media/photo/iriaka-matiu-ratana"><img src="/files/styles/mini/public/iriaka-ratana.jpg?itok=1g5eVdtC" alt="Media file" /></a> Tommy Taylor /people/thomas-edward-taylor <div class="field field-name-field-biography field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Tommy Taylor was one of the most colourful figures in the political life of his day. He spent his life campaigning for the prohibition of alcohol.</p><p>Thomas Edward Taylor was born in Lincolnshire, England, and emigrated with his family from London to Christchurch in 1873, aged 11. At 14 he went through a crisis of conscience, and converted to Methodism. Soon he was teaching Sunday school, and debating society in the Church. He began preparing to enter the ministry, but his minister dissuaded him, deeming him too argumentative.</p><p>Instead, Taylor turned his attention to <a href="/node/14115">prohibition</a>. Along with Leonard Isitt, he founded the Sydenham Prohibition League, followed by the weekly magazine the <em>Prohibitionist</em>.</p><p>In 1891 Taylor became a member of the Sydenham Borough Council, the beginning of his political career. Here he focussed on liquor licensing and the plight of the unemployed. In 1896 he contested and won a City of Christchurch seat in the House of Representatives. In Parliament Taylor continued to campaign against alcohol, and in 1898 became a vice-president of the New Zealand Alliance, the main prohibitionist organisation.</p><p>Taylor’s other political objectives included abolition of the Legislative Council, enhanced hospital conditions, technical education in schools and the right of women to hold public office. In 1899 he lost his seat due to his opposition to the <a href="/node/909">South African War</a>. He was able to regain it in 1902, choosing to align himself with campaigners for labour reform. He would lose his seat again in 1905, only to win one in Christchurch North in 1908.</p><p>His work on labour reform came to his aid in 1911 when he was elected mayor of Christchurch, with the support of organised labour. The rigours of the position may have had a harsh effect on his slight frame and, later that year, he died of a gastric ulcer. Some 50,000 people lined the streets of Christchurch for his funeral procession.&nbsp;</p><p><em>By A.R. Grigg; adapted by Patrick Whatman</em></p><ul><li><a href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/2t16/1" target="_blank">Read full biography of Tommy Taylor (DNZB)</a></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="service-links"><a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/thomas-edward-taylor&amp;title=Tommy%20Taylor" title="Submit this post on reddit.com." class="service-links-reddit" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/reddit.png" alt="Reddit" /> Reddit</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/thomas-edward-taylor&amp;text=Tommy%20Taylor" title="Share this on Twitter" class="service-links-twitter" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/twitter.png" alt="Twitter" /> Twitter</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/thomas-edward-taylor&amp;t=Tommy%20Taylor" title="Share on Facebook." class="service-links-facebook" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/facebook.png" alt="Facebook" /> Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&amp;bkmk=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/thomas-edward-taylor&amp;title=Tommy%20Taylor" title="Bookmark this post on Google." class="service-links-google" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/google.png" alt="Google" /> Google</a> <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/thomas-edward-taylor&amp;title=Tommy%20Taylor" title="Thumb this up at StumbleUpon" class="service-links-stumbleupon" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/stumbleit.png" alt="StumbleUpon" /> StumbleUpon</a></div> 51294 at http://www.nzhistory.net.nz /people/thomas-edward-taylor#comments Tommy Taylor was one of the most colourful figures in the political life of his day. He spent his life campaigning for the prohibition of alcohol.Thomas Edward Taylor was born in Lincolnshire, England, and emigrated with his family from London to Christchurch in 1873, aged 11. At 14 he went through a crisis of conscience, and converted to Methodism. Soon he was teaching Sunday school, and debating society in the Church. He began preparing to enter the ministry, but his minister dissuaded him, deeming him too argumentative.Instead, Taylor turned his attention to prohibition. <a href="/people/thomas-edward-taylor"><img src="/files/styles/mini/public/thomas-taylor-bio.jpg?itok=p64lI4MN" alt="Media file" /></a> Mabel Howard becomes first woman Cabinet minister /page/mabel-howard-becomes-first-woman-cabinet-minister <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>First elected to Parliament for Christchurch East in a by-election in February 1943, Mabel Howard was to become one of the first Labour government’s ‘high-profile and sometimes flamboyant’ ministers. She won the new electorate of Sydenham in 1946 and held this seat until her retirement in 1969. Following the death of Dan Sullivan in April 1947, she was appointed minister of health and minister in charge of child welfare, becoming the first woman to serve as a Cabinet minister in a Commonwealth country.</p><p>Coming from a strong trade union background, Howard declared her concern for ‘women, the aged, the sick and the unfortunate’. She had a forthright manner and a reputation for saying what was on her mind. She caused a fuss in September 1954 when during a lacklustre debate on the Merchandise Marks bill she <a title="See related image on Te Ara" href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/canterbury-places/11/4" target="_blank">waved two pairs of her bloomers</a> in front of an astonished House. She was trying to show that although clothing sizes were supposed to be standardised and correctly labelled, much variation existed. The ploy clearly worked. While clothing manufacturers criticised the stunt, she received much support (some of it from within the National Party) and standardisation was soon legislated.</p><p>In the Walter Nash-led second Labour government (1957-60) Howard became minister of social security, minister in charge of the welfare of women and children, and minister in charge of the Child Welfare Department. Her reputation for lacking tact and being unnecessarily antagonistic towards departmental officials and doctors apparently contributed to Nash’s decision not to restore her to the health portfolio.</p><p>Howard was re-elected with large majorities in 1963 and 1966, when Labour was in opposition. She stood down in 1969 after the Labour Party introduced a mandatory retirement age. Her health had been declining and she was suffering the early stages of dementia. A court order saw her committed to Sunnyside Hospital, Christchurch, where she died in June 1972.</p><p>Image: <a href="/node/1745">Mabel Howard</a></p></div></div></div> 50983 at http://www.nzhistory.net.nz /page/mabel-howard-becomes-first-woman-cabinet-minister#comments <p>When Howard was appointed minister of health and minister in charge of child welfare, she became the first woman to serve as a Cabinet minister in a Commonwealth country.</p> <a href="/page/mabel-howard-becomes-first-woman-cabinet-minister"><img src="/files/styles/mini/public/images/mabel-howard-event.jpg?itok=eYv3uUFV" alt="Media file" /></a> Richard Seddon and his cabinet, 1906 /media/photo/richard-seddon-and-his-cabinet-1906 <div class="field field-name-field-primary-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/files/styles/fullsize/public/images/seddon-cabinet.jpg?itok=haYRnPnY" width="500" height="397" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Colonial Cabinets were small. &nbsp;This is Richard Seddon’s (1893-1906), from left to right: Charles Mills, Thomas Duncan, James McGowan, Sir Joseph Ward, <a title="Biography of Richard Seddon" href="/node/5747">Richard John Seddon</a>, <a title="Biography of William Hall-Jones" href="/node/14957">William Hall-Jones</a>, Albert Pitt, <a title="Biography of James Carroll" href="/node/5144">Sir James Carroll </a>and <a title="Biography of Mahuta Te Wherowhero" href="/node/5680">Mahuta Te Wherowhero</a>.</p></div></div></div> <div class="field field-name-field-reference field-type-text-long field-label-above clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><p>Credit:</p></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p><a href="http://natlib.govt.nz/">Alexander Turnbull Library</a> <br /> Reference: 1/2-020806-F<br /> Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa must be obtained before any reuse of this image.</p></div> </div> </div> <div class="service-links"><a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/richard-seddon-and-his-cabinet-1906&amp;title=Richard%20Seddon%20and%20his%20cabinet%2C%201906" title="Submit this post on reddit.com." class="service-links-reddit" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/reddit.png" alt="Reddit" /> Reddit</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/richard-seddon-and-his-cabinet-1906&amp;text=Richard%20Seddon%20and%20his%20cabinet%2C%201906" title="Share this on Twitter" class="service-links-twitter" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/twitter.png" alt="Twitter" /> Twitter</a> <a 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class="service-links-stumbleupon" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/stumbleit.png" alt="StumbleUpon" /> StumbleUpon</a></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/richard-seddon" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">richard seddon</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/mps" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">mps</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/james-carroll" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">james carroll</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/william-hall-jones" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">william hall-jones</a></div></div></div> 15007 at http://www.nzhistory.net.nz /media/photo/richard-seddon-and-his-cabinet-1906#comments <p>Photograph of Richard Seddon&#039;s (1893-1906) 1906 ministerial cabinet.</p> <a href="/media/photo/richard-seddon-and-his-cabinet-1906"><img src="/files/styles/mini/public/images/seddon-cabinet.jpg?itok=LW8qnRHj" alt="Media file" /></a> PM Jim Bolger with senior ministers /media/photo/pm-jim-bolger-with-senior-ministers <div class="field field-name-field-primary-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/files/styles/fullsize/public/images/jim-bolger.jpg?itok=7HkBbuhV" width="500" height="333" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Four key Ministers of the National Government line up for a press conference following the presentation of the economic statement to Parliament, 20 December 1990. They are from left: Ruth Richardson, James (Jim) Bolger, William (Bill) Birch, and Simon Upton.</p><ul><li><a href="/node/14993">See biography of Jim Bolger</a></li></ul></div></div></div> <div class="field field-name-field-reference field-type-text-long field-label-above clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><p>Credit:</p></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p><a href="http://natlib.govt.nz/">Alexander Turnbull Library</a> <br /> Reference: EP/1990/4372/21<br />Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa must be obtained before any reuse of this image.</p></div> </div> </div> <div class="service-links"><a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/pm-jim-bolger-with-senior-ministers&amp;title=PM%20Jim%20Bolger%20with%20senior%20ministers" title="Submit this post on reddit.com." class="service-links-reddit" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/reddit.png" alt="Reddit" /> Reddit</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/pm-jim-bolger-with-senior-ministers&amp;text=PM%20Jim%20Bolger%20with%20senior%20ministers" title="Share this on Twitter" class="service-links-twitter" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/twitter.png" alt="Twitter" /> Twitter</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/pm-jim-bolger-with-senior-ministers&amp;t=PM%20Jim%20Bolger%20with%20senior%20ministers" title="Share on Facebook." class="service-links-facebook" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/facebook.png" alt="Facebook" /> Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&amp;bkmk=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/pm-jim-bolger-with-senior-ministers&amp;title=PM%20Jim%20Bolger%20with%20senior%20ministers" title="Bookmark this post on Google." class="service-links-google" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/google.png" alt="Google" /> Google</a> <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/pm-jim-bolger-with-senior-ministers&amp;title=PM%20Jim%20Bolger%20with%20senior%20ministers" title="Thumb this up at StumbleUpon" class="service-links-stumbleupon" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/stumbleit.png" alt="StumbleUpon" /> StumbleUpon</a></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/mps" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">mps</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/jim-bolger" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">jim bolger</a></div></div></div> 14992 at http://www.nzhistory.net.nz /media/photo/pm-jim-bolger-with-senior-ministers#comments <p>Four key Ministers of the National Government line of for a press conference following the presentation of the economic statement to Parliament, 20 December 1990.</p> <a href="/media/photo/pm-jim-bolger-with-senior-ministers"><img src="/files/styles/mini/public/images/jim-bolger.jpg?itok=XhLdmARG" alt="Media file" /></a> Wallace Rowling /people/wallace-rowling <div class="field field-name-field-biography field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><a title="More on death of Norman Kirk" href="/timeline/31/8">Norman Kirk’s death in office</a> brought Bill Rowling to the prime ministership unexpectedly in August 1974. A member of an old Tasman Bay farming family, and a teacher by training, he had been finance minister since 1972.</p><p>Many thought that had Rowling called an election, he might have won on a wave of sympathy over Kirk’s death. New Zealand weathered the worldwide economic crisis better than some countries. But National’s <a title="Biography of Robert Muldoon" href="/node/14985">Robert Muldoon</a> labelled Rowling’s policy of borrowing to keep people and industry working ‘borrow and hope’. Muldoon also portrayed Rowling as weak. He was not, but Muldoon’s mastery of the media and energetic campaigning gave National 23-seats more than Labour in 1975, exactly reversing Labour’s 1972 majority.</p><p>Rowling rebuilt his party but luck eluded him. Despite impressive personal campaign performances, in both 1978 and 1981 Labour outpolled National but won fewer seats. In 1983 a frustrated caucus replaced him with the charismatic tyro, <a title="Biography of David Lange" href="/node/6145">David Lange</a>.</p><p>After leaving Parliament in 1984, Rowling (later knighted) served as ambassador to the United States and played a prominent role in creating Te Papa.</p><p><em>Written by Gavin McLean</em></p><p><strong>See also:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Rowling">Biography of Wallace (Bill) Rowling</a> (Wikipedia)<strong><br /></strong></li><li><a href="/node/15003">Premiers and Prime Ministers of New Zealand</a></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="service-links"><a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/wallace-rowling&amp;title=Wallace%20Rowling" title="Submit this post on reddit.com." class="service-links-reddit" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/reddit.png" alt="Reddit" /> Reddit</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/wallace-rowling&amp;text=Wallace%20Rowling" title="Share this on Twitter" class="service-links-twitter" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/twitter.png" alt="Twitter" /> Twitter</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/wallace-rowling&amp;t=Wallace%20Rowling" title="Share on Facebook." class="service-links-facebook" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/facebook.png" alt="Facebook" /> Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&amp;bkmk=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/wallace-rowling&amp;title=Wallace%20Rowling" title="Bookmark this post on Google." class="service-links-google" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/google.png" alt="Google" /> Google</a> <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/wallace-rowling&amp;title=Wallace%20Rowling" title="Thumb this up at StumbleUpon" class="service-links-stumbleupon" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/stumbleit.png" alt="StumbleUpon" /> StumbleUpon</a></div> 14983 at http://www.nzhistory.net.nz /people/wallace-rowling#comments Norman Kirk’s death in office brought Bill Rowling to the prime ministership unexpectedly in August 1974. A member of an old Tasman Bay farming family, and a teacher by training, he had been finance minister since 1972.Many thought that had Rowling called an election, he might have won on a wave of sympathy over Kirk’s death. New Zealand weathered the worldwide economic crisis better than some countries. But National’s Robert Muldoon labelled Rowling’s policy of borrowing to keep people and industry working ‘borrow and hope’. Muldoon also portrayed Rowling as weak. <a href="/people/wallace-rowling"><img src="/files/styles/mini/public/wallace-rowling-bio.jpg?itok=Y1kNhYjs" alt="Media file" /></a> Edward Stafford /media/photo/edward-stafford <div class="field field-name-field-primary-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/files/styles/fullsize/public/images/edward-stafford-bio.jpg?itok=dIKTSxCe" width="500" height="355" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Detail from a montage of the 42 members of the New Zealand House of Representatives in 1860. In the middle of this detail are (left to right): <a href="/node/5754">Frederick Aloysius Weld</a>, <a href="/node/14926">Edward William Stafford</a> and <a href="/node/51180">Christopher William Richmond</a>. In the foreground are (left to right): Thomas Henderson, <a href="/node/1501">Charles Clifford</a> and John Logan Campbell.</p></div></div></div> <div class="field field-name-field-reference field-type-text-long field-label-above clearfix"> <div class="field-label"><p>Credit:</p></div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><p><a href="http://beta.natlib.govt.nz/">Alexander Turnbull Library </a><br /> Reference: 1/2-012439-F<br /> Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa must be obtained before any reuse of this image.</p></div> </div> </div> <div class="service-links"><a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/edward-stafford&amp;title=Edward%20Stafford" title="Submit this post on reddit.com." class="service-links-reddit" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/reddit.png" alt="Reddit" /> Reddit</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/edward-stafford&amp;text=Edward%20Stafford" title="Share this on Twitter" class="service-links-twitter" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/twitter.png" alt="Twitter" /> Twitter</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/edward-stafford&amp;t=Edward%20Stafford" title="Share on Facebook." class="service-links-facebook" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/facebook.png" alt="Facebook" /> Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&amp;bkmk=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/edward-stafford&amp;title=Edward%20Stafford" title="Bookmark this post on Google." class="service-links-google" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/google.png" alt="Google" /> Google</a> <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/edward-stafford&amp;title=Edward%20Stafford" title="Thumb this up at StumbleUpon" class="service-links-stumbleupon" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/stumbleit.png" alt="StumbleUpon" /> StumbleUpon</a></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/mps" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">mps</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/edward-stafford" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">edward stafford</a></div></div></div> 14925 at http://www.nzhistory.net.nz /media/photo/edward-stafford#comments <p>Detail from a montage of the 42 members of the New Zealand House of Representatives in 1860.</p> <a href="/media/photo/edward-stafford"><img src="/files/styles/mini/public/images/edward-stafford-bio.jpg?itok=26Cv-pPA" alt="Media file" /></a> Isaac Featherston /people/isaac-featherston <div class="field field-name-field-biography field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1813, Isaac Featherston spent his early life studying medicine in Edinburgh and working as a physician in Italy and across Europe.</p><p>Suffering from persistent ill health and a weak constitution, he eventually travelled further afield in search of a more suitable climate. Featherston made his passage to New Zealand as surgeon superintendent aboard the <em>Olympus, </em>a ship owned by the New Zealand Company, through which he had purchased land in the new settlement of Wellington.</p><p>On arrival, he expressed shock at the primitive state of the ‘city’, describing it as little more than ‘mud hovels’ and ‘wooden huts’. His anger was compounded on discovering that the ‘fine fertile land’ he had been sold was actually ‘useless swamp, worth nothing’.</p><p>Despite these setbacks, Featherston threw himself into community-building initiatives and other civic activities, developing a reputation as ‘leader of the settlers’.&nbsp;One of his first achievements was to secure compensation for Wellington landowners, pitting him squarely against the interests of the New Zealand Company and its representatives, the Wakefields.</p><p>In 1845 Featherston became the first editor of the <em>Wellington Independent</em>, using his position to articulate the growing demand from Wellington settlers for some form of representative government. He was known as a staunch provincialist and advocated strongly for the maximum possible devolution of functions and powers to the provincial councils. It is no surprise that successive Governors found him highly difficult and insubordinate.</p><p>His antagonism toward the Wakefields came to a head in 1847 with an armed duel with Edward Wakefield in Te Aro. Fortunately, Wakefield was unwilling to ‘shoot a man who had seven daughters’, and Featherston’s life was spared.</p><p>Little is known of Featherston’s personal life. Although his wife noted his ‘rather antiquated’ views about the rights of women, other observations point to a man who could be genial and humorous in private. He was well known among Maori for his willingness to engage and form alliances, an approach which went against prevailing attitudes and earned him considerable mana among Wellington tribes.</p><p>When elections were finally held in 1853, Featherston was elected unopposed as provincial Superintendent. He went on to serve as a member of the House of Representatives, colonial secretary and minister without portfolio. Later, he was appointed New Zealand’s first Agent-General, playing an instrumental role in shaping the country’s early immigration policy.</p><p>Featherston passed away in 1876. He is remembered as a complex but powerful figure, who led the city, district and province of Wellington with all the courage of his convictions.</p><ul><li>See also: <a href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1f4/1">biography of Isaac Featherston on the DNZB website</a></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="service-links"><a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/isaac-featherston&amp;title=Isaac%20Featherston" title="Submit this post on reddit.com." class="service-links-reddit" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/reddit.png" alt="Reddit" /> Reddit</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/isaac-featherston&amp;text=Isaac%20Featherston" title="Share this on Twitter" class="service-links-twitter" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/twitter.png" alt="Twitter" /> Twitter</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/isaac-featherston&amp;t=Isaac%20Featherston" title="Share on Facebook." class="service-links-facebook" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/facebook.png" alt="Facebook" /> Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&amp;bkmk=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/isaac-featherston&amp;title=Isaac%20Featherston" title="Bookmark this post on Google." class="service-links-google" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/google.png" alt="Google" /> Google</a> <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/isaac-featherston&amp;title=Isaac%20Featherston" title="Thumb this up at StumbleUpon" class="service-links-stumbleupon" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/stumbleit.png" alt="StumbleUpon" /> StumbleUpon</a></div> 14914 at http://www.nzhistory.net.nz /people/isaac-featherston#comments Born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1813, Isaac Featherston spent his early life studying medicine in Edinburgh and working as a physician in Italy and across Europe.Suffering from persistent ill health and a weak constitution, he eventually travelled further afield in search of a more suitable climate. Featherston made his passage to New Zealand as surgeon superintendent aboard the Olympus, a ship owned by the New Zealand Company, through which he had purchased land in the new settlement of Wellington. <a href="/people/isaac-featherston"><img src="/files/styles/mini/public/isaac-featherston-biography.jpg?itok=jXxjULXv" alt="Media file" /></a> Sidney Holland /people/sidney-holland <div class="field field-name-field-biography field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>The Hollands were a Canterbury political dynasty. Sid’s father, Henry, a mayor of Christchurch, entered Parliament in 1925. Son Eric followed Sid into the House.</p><p>After war service, Sid Holland founded a manufacturing company with his brother. Active in business organisations, he flirted with the extreme right before joining National and entering Parliament in 1935.</p><p>No intellectual but a sharp debater, Holland boosted a divided, demoralised opposition and became party leader in 1940. His position was strengthened when <a title="Biography of Gordon Coates" href="/node/5709">Gordon Coates</a> and former leader Adam Hamilton joined Labour’s War Cabinet.</p><p>Holland became PM in 1949. A year later he abolished the <a title="More about the Legislative Council" href="/node/656">Legislative Council</a>, and in <a title="More about 1951 waterfront dispute" href="/node/3246">1951, after winning the Waterfront Dispute</a>, he increased his majority in a snap election.</p><p>Like <a title="Biography of William Massey" href="/node/14965">William Massey</a>, Holland was pragmatic. He ensured that National preserved ‘Labour’s social security while restoring, under free enterprise, the spiritual values of liberty, individual initiative, and loyalty to the traditions of empire.’</p><p>Holland’s health began to deteriorate in 1956, and he was persuaded to step down just weeks before the 1957 election.</p><p><em>Written by Gavin McLean</em></p><p><strong>See also: </strong></p><ul><li><a href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5h30/1">Biography of Sidney Holland on the DNZB website</a></li><li><a href="/node/1158">Hear Sidney Holland's announcement about the 1953 Tangiwai railway disaster </a></li><li><a href="/node/15003">Premiers and Prime Ministers of New Zealand</a></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="service-links"><a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/sidney-holland&amp;title=Sidney%20Holland" title="Submit this post on reddit.com." class="service-links-reddit" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/reddit.png" alt="Reddit" /> Reddit</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/sidney-holland&amp;text=Sidney%20Holland" title="Share this on Twitter" class="service-links-twitter" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/twitter.png" alt="Twitter" /> Twitter</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/sidney-holland&amp;t=Sidney%20Holland" title="Share on Facebook." class="service-links-facebook" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/facebook.png" alt="Facebook" /> Facebook</a> <a href="http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=add&amp;bkmk=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/sidney-holland&amp;title=Sidney%20Holland" title="Bookmark this post on Google." class="service-links-google" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/google.png" alt="Google" /> Google</a> <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http%3A//www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/sidney-holland&amp;title=Sidney%20Holland" title="Thumb this up at StumbleUpon" class="service-links-stumbleupon" rel="nofollow"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/service_links/images/stumbleit.png" alt="StumbleUpon" /> StumbleUpon</a></div> 14539 at http://www.nzhistory.net.nz /people/sidney-holland#comments The Hollands were a Canterbury political dynasty. Sid’s father, Henry, a mayor of Christchurch, entered Parliament in 1925. Son Eric followed Sid into the House.After war service, Sid Holland founded a manufacturing company with his brother. Active in business organisations, he flirted with the extreme right before joining National and entering Parliament in 1935.No intellectual but a sharp debater, Holland boosted a divided, demoralised opposition and became party leader in 1940. His position was strengthened when Gordon Coates and former leader Adam Hamilton joined Labour’s War Cabinet. <a href="/people/sidney-holland"><img src="/files/styles/mini/public/sidney-holland-biog.jpg?itok=n5VXJ_T6" alt="Media file" /></a>