1.
Order of St Michael and St George
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It is named in honour of two military saints, St Michael and St George. People are appointed to the Order rather than awarded it, British Ambassadors to foreign nations are regularly appointed as KCMGs or CMGs. It is the award for members of the FCO. The Orders motto is Auspicium melioris ævi and its patron saints, as the name suggests, are St. Michael the Archangel, and St. George, patron saint of England. One of its symbols is that of St Michael trampling over. The third of the aforementioned Orders—which relates to Ireland, no longer fully a part of the United Kingdom—still exists but is in disuse, the last of the Orders on the list, related to India, has also been in disuse since that countrys independence in 1947. In 1864, however, the protectorate ended and the Ionian Islands became a part of Greece, accordingly, numerous Governors-General and Governors feature as recipients of awards in the order. In 1965, the order was open for women, with Evelyn Bark becoming the first CMG, the British Sovereign is the Sovereign of the Order and appoints all other members of the Order. The next-most senior member is the Grand Master, the office was formerly filled by the Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands, now, however, Grand Masters are chosen by the Sovereign. Members of the Royal Family who are appointed to the Order do not count towards the limit, the Orders King of Arms is not a member of the College of Arms, like many other heraldic officers. The Usher of the Order is known as the Gentleman Usher of the Blue Rod, he not, unlike his Order of the Garter equivalent. On the left side is a representation of the star, the mantle is bound with two large tassels. The collar, worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, is made of gold and it consists of depictions of crowned lions, Maltese Crosses, and the cyphers SM and SG, all alternately. In the centre are two winged lions, each holding a book and seven arrows, at less important occasions, simpler insignia are used, The star is an insignia used only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dames Commanders. It is worn pinned to the left breast, the Knight and Dame Grand Cross star includes seven-armed, silver-rayed Maltese Asterisk, with a gold ray in between each pair of arms. The Knight and Dame Commanders star is a slightly smaller eight-pointed silver figure formed by two Maltese Crosses, it does not include any gold rays, in each case, the star bears a red cross of St George. In the centre of the star is a blue ring bearing the motto of the Order. Within the ring is a representation of St Michael trampling on Satan, the badge is the only insignia used by all members of the Order, it is suspended on a blue-crimson-blue ribbon
2.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
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Her Majestys Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians, who are present or former members of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords, the Council also holds the delegated authority to issue Orders of Council, mostly used to regulate certain public institutions. The Council advises the sovereign on the issuing of Royal Charters, which are used to grant special status to incorporated bodies, otherwise, the Privy Councils powers have now been largely replaced by the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The Judicial Committee consists of judges appointed as Privy Counsellors, predominantly Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The Privy Council of the United Kingdom was preceded by the Privy Council of Scotland, the key events in the formation of the modern Privy Council are given below, Witenagemot was an early equivalent to the Privy Council of England. During the reigns of the Norman monarchs, the English Crown was advised by a court or curia regis. The body originally concerned itself with advising the sovereign on legislation, administration, later, different bodies assuming distinct functions evolved from the court. The courts of law took over the business of dispensing justice, nevertheless, the Council retained the power to hear legal disputes, either in the first instance or on appeal. Furthermore, laws made by the sovereign on the advice of the Council, powerful sovereigns often used the body to circumvent the Courts and Parliament. During Henry VIIIs reign, the sovereign, on the advice of the Council, was allowed to enact laws by mere proclamation, the legislative pre-eminence of Parliament was not restored until after Henry VIIIs death. Though the royal Council retained legislative and judicial responsibilities, it became an administrative body. The Council consisted of forty members in 1553, but the sovereign relied on a smaller committee, by the end of the English Civil War, the monarchy, House of Lords, and Privy Council had been abolished. The remaining parliamentary chamber, the House of Commons, instituted a Council of State to execute laws, the forty-one members of the Council were elected by the House of Commons, the body was headed by Oliver Cromwell, de facto military dictator of the nation. In 1653, however, Cromwell became Lord Protector, and the Council was reduced to thirteen and twenty-one members, all elected by the Commons. In 1657, the Commons granted Cromwell even greater powers, some of which were reminiscent of those enjoyed by monarchs, the Council became known as the Protectors Privy Council, its members were appointed by the Lord Protector, subject to Parliaments approval. In 1659, shortly before the restoration of the monarchy, the Protectors Council was abolished, Charles II restored the Royal Privy Council, but he, like previous Stuart monarchs, chose to rely on a small group of advisers. Under George I even more power transferred to this committee and it now began to meet in the absence of the sovereign, communicating its decisions to him after the fact. Thus, the British Privy Council, as a whole, ceased to be a body of important confidential advisers to the sovereign and it is closely related to the word private, and derives from the French word privé
3.
Prime Minister of New Zealand
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The Prime Minister of New Zealand is the head of government of New Zealand. The current prime minister is Bill English of the National Party, the prime minister is the most senior government minister, and chairs cabinet meetings. The office exists by a convention, which originated in New Zealands former colonial power. The convention stipulates that the Governor-General of New Zealand must select as prime minister the person most likely to command the confidence of the House of Representatives and this individual is typically the leader of the political party that holds the largest number of seats in that chamber. The title prime minister had made its first formal appearance in the 1873 Schedule of the Civil List Act and this was changed in 1869 to premier. That title remained in use for more than 30 years, being changed by Richard Seddon to prime minister in 1901 during his tenure in office. Following the declaration of New Zealand as a dominion in 1907, the office of prime minister is not defined by codified laws, but by unwritten customs known as constitutional conventions which developed in Britain and were replicated in New Zealand. The Prime Minister is leader of the cabinet, and takes a coordinating role, the Cabinet Manual 2008 provides an outline of the prime ministers powers and responsibilities. The post of minister is, like other ministerial positions. However, the convention has long since established that the prime minister must have. Historically, this has meant that the prime minister is the parliamentary leader of the largest political party in the House of Representatives. By constitutional convention, the minister holds formal power to advise the sovereign. As head of government, the prime minister alone has the right to advise the governor-general to, Appoint, dismiss, call elections by advising the governor-general to dissolve parliament. The governor-general may reject the advice to dissolve parliament if the minister has recently lost a vote of confidence. The prime minister is regarded by convention as first among equals and they do hold the most senior post in government, but are also required to adhere to any decisions taken by cabinet, as per the convention of cabinet collective responsibility. The ability to appoint and dismiss ministers, furthermore, the MMP electoral system has complicated this, as the prime minister may have to consult with another party leader. The influence a prime minister is likely to have as leader of the dominant party and these powers may give more direct control over subordinates than is attached to the prime ministers role. The power gained simply from being central to most significant decision-making, in addition, like all other ministers and members of parliament, the prime minister receives annual allowances for travel and lodging, as do the prime ministers spouse and children
4.
Edward VII
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Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, before his accession to the throne, he served as heir apparent and held the title of Prince of Wales for longer than any of his predecessors. During the long reign of his mother, he was excluded from political power. He travelled throughout Britain performing ceremonial duties, and represented Britain on visits abroad. His tours of North America in 1860 and the Indian subcontinent in 1875 were popular successes, as king, Edward played a role in the modernisation of the British Home Fleet and the reorganisation of the British Army after the Second Boer War. He reinstituted traditional ceremonies as public displays and broadened the range of people with whom royalty socialised and he died in 1910 in the midst of a constitutional crisis that was resolved the following year by the Parliament Act 1911, which restricted the power of the unelected House of Lords. Edward was born at 10,48 in the morning on 9 November 1841 in Buckingham Palace and he was the eldest son and second child of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was christened Albert Edward at St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle and he was named Albert after his father and Edward after his maternal grandfather Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn. He was known as Bertie to the family throughout his life. As the eldest son of the British sovereign, he was automatically Duke of Cornwall, as a son of Prince Albert, he also held the titles of Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Duke of Saxony. He was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on 8 December 1841, Earl of Dublin on 17 January 1850, a Knight of the Garter on 9 November 1858, and a Knight of the Thistle on 24 May 1867. In 1863, he renounced his rights to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in favour of his younger brother. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were determined that their eldest son should have an education that would prepare him to be a constitutional monarch. At age seven, Edward embarked on an educational programme devised by Prince Albert. Unlike his elder sister Victoria, Edward did not excel in his studies and he tried to meet the expectations of his parents, but to no avail. Although Edward was not a diligent student—his true talents were those of charm, sociability and tact—Benjamin Disraeli described him as informed, intelligent, after the completion of his secondary-level studies, his tutor was replaced by a personal governor, Robert Bruce. After an educational trip to Rome, undertaken in the first few months of 1859, he spent the summer of that year studying at the University of Edinburgh under, among others, in October, he matriculated as an undergraduate at Christ Church, Oxford. Now released from the strictures imposed by his parents, he enjoyed studying for the first time
5.
George V
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George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. He was the son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. From the time of his birth, he was third in the line of succession behind his father and his own brother, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence. From 1877 to 1891, George served in the Royal Navy, on the death of his grandmother in 1901, Georges father became King-Emperor of the British Empire, and George was created Prince of Wales. He succeeded his father in 1910 and he was the only Emperor of India to be present at his own Delhi Durbar. His reign saw the rise of socialism, communism, fascism, Irish republicanism, the Parliament Act 1911 established the supremacy of the elected British House of Commons over the unelected House of Lords. In 1917, George became the first monarch of the House of Windsor, in 1924 he appointed the first Labour ministry and in 1931 the Statute of Westminster recognised the dominions of the Empire as separate, independent states within the Commonwealth of Nations. He had health problems throughout much of his reign and at his death was succeeded by his eldest son. George was born on 3 June 1865, in Marlborough House and he was the second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Albert Edward and Alexandra. His father was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and he was baptised at Windsor Castle on 7 July 1865 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Longley. As a younger son of the Prince of Wales, there was expectation that George would become king. He was third in line to the throne, after his father and elder brother, George was only 17 months younger than Albert Victor, and the two princes were educated together. John Neale Dalton was appointed as their tutor in 1871, neither Albert Victor nor George excelled intellectually. For three years from 1879, the brothers served on HMS Bacchante, accompanied by Dalton. They toured the colonies of the British Empire in the Caribbean, South Africa and Australia, and visited Norfolk, Virginia, as well as South America, the Mediterranean, Egypt, Dalton wrote an account of their journey entitled The Cruise of HMS Bacchante. Between Melbourne and Sydney, Dalton recorded a sighting of the Flying Dutchman, after Lausanne, the brothers were separated, Albert Victor attended Trinity College, Cambridge, while George continued in the Royal Navy. He travelled the world, visiting many areas of the British Empire, during his naval career he commanded Torpedo Boat 79 in home waters then HMS Thrush on the North America station, before his last active service in command of HMS Melampus in 1891–92. From then on, his rank was largely honorary
6.
William Plunket, 5th Baron Plunket
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William Lee Plunket, 5th Baron Plunket GCMG GCVO KBE was a British diplomat and administrator. He was Governor of New Zealand from 1904-10, born in Dublin, he was educated at Harrow and Trinity College Dublin. His parents were William, 4th Lord Plunket, the archbishop of Dublin in 1884-97, and his wife Anne and he entered the Diplomatic Service and was sent to Rome in 1889 as an attaché to the British Embassy there. In 1892, he was appointed in the position to the embassy in Constantinople. In 1894, he also married Lady Victoria Alexandrina, youngest daughter of the 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, Victoria gave her name to Plunket Society, a New Zealand society promoting the health and well-being of mothers and children. He was appointed CVO and KCVO in 1900 and 1903 respectively, by chance the Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives at the time was his cousin Arthur Guinness. He held this post until 1910, when he was advanced to GCMG and he was later appointed KBE in 1918. During his term as Governor of New Zealand, he was also Grand Master of New Zealands Grand Lodge, Lord Plunket died on 24 January 1920 aged 55 in 40 Elvaston Place, London, and was buried in the citys Putney Vale Cemetery
7.
Arthur Foljambe, 2nd Earl of Liverpool
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On his mothers side he descended from Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, the architect. He was educated at Eton and the Sandhurst before joining the Rifle Brigade, Foljambe served in the Second Boer War and was promoted to Captain. In July 1901 he was appointed an extra aide-de-camp to the Earl Cadogan and he retired from the army in 1906. Liverpool succeeded his father in the earldom in 1907 and took his seat in the House of Lords on the Liberal benches, in July 1909 he was appointed Comptroller of the Household in the Liberal administration of H. H. Asquith, a post he held until 1912. The latter year he was appointed Governor of New Zealand, in 1917 the office was raised in dignity to that of Governor-General of New Zealand. The same year Liverpool was also admitted to the Privy Council and his term was extended to cover the visit of the Prince of Wales. He retired as Governor-General in 1920 and was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 7 October 1920, during the First World War, Liverpool conferred his name upon a New Zealand infantry regiment. The New Zealand Rifle Brigade was formed in 1915, served with the New Zealand Division during the war and was disbanded in 1919, Lord Liverpool married the Hon. Annette Louise Monck, daughter of Henry Monck, 5th Viscount Monck, in 1897. In the 1918 New Year Honours, Annette, Countess of Liverpool was appointed Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire and he owned Hartsholme Hall from 1909 to 1939. He died at his home Canwick Hall in May 1941, aged 70, the Countess of Liverpool died in May 1948, aged 73. Works by or about Arthur Foljambe, 2nd Earl of Liverpool at Internet Archive
8.
William Hall-Jones
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Sir William Hall-Jones KCMG was the 16th Prime Minister of New Zealand from June 1906 until August 1906. He was the interim Prime Minister after the death of Richard Seddon, Hall-Jones was a mild mannered man with a fully earned reputation as an outstanding administrator. Prime Minister Richard Seddon famously said of him, He is the best administrator I have in my Cabinet, Hall-Jones was born in Folkestone, Kent, England, landed at Dunedin in 1873 and became a carpenter and later a builder in Timaru. He developed an interest in politics serving on the Timaru Borough Council from 1884 to 1886. The death of Richard Turnbull triggered a by-election in the Timaru electorate, Hall-Jones had initially refused nomination from locals, citing several upcoming business contracts. However, after persistent calls, Hall-Jones reluctantly accepted despite having no parliamentary ambitions and he represented Timaru in the House of Representatives until his resignation in October 1908. He was initially an Independent Liberal holding moderate, progressive views that tended to him with John Ballance, Sir George Grey. He joined the Liberal caucus and in 1891 became the party whip alongside Westby Perceval and his main task in this role was improving the main trunk rail line between Auckland and Wellington. Rejecting a proposal for another incline on the Rimutaka ranges he insisted on using a better route and he was also responsible for the eventual construction of the Otira tunnel, going through Arthurs Pass. Several weeks after entering cabinet he was also appointed Minister of Marine, Hall-Jones was also responsible for passing a bill granting protection to famous navigation dolphin Pelorus Jack by Order in Council under the Sea Fisheries Act on 26 September 1904. He was acting Prime Minister during the absence from the country of Seddon in 1906, during his brief period as Prime Minister, he was Colonial Treasurer, Minister of Labour, Minister of Education, Minister for Public Works, and Minister of Marine. However he announced that he would hold power until Sir Joseph Wards return from abroad. Despite this, there was speculation in the media that he may attempt to remain in office as Seddon himself had done in 1893. Hall-Jones accepted the Railways and Public Works portfolios in the subsequent Ward administration and he died at his home in Wellington on 19 June 1936. Liberal Government of New Zealand Foster, Bernard J. HALL-JONES, Sir William, An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, retrieved 2008-05-22 Hall-Jones, Frederick G. Sir William Hall-Jones, The Last of the Old Liberals, Invercargill, Hall-Jones and Sons Hamer, the New Zealand Liberals, The Years of Power, 1891-1912, Auckland, Auckland University Press, ISBN 1-86940-014-3, OCLC18420103 Wilson, James Oakley. The Bateman New Zealand Encyclopedia,1988 Prime Ministers Office Biography, William Hall-Jones
9.
Thomas Mackenzie
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His family emigrated to New Zealand in 1858 when he was four and Mackenzie was educated at Green Island School and at the Stone School, both in Dunedin. He tried his hand at surveying, farming and commerce, Mackenzie was elected to the New Zealand Parliament for Clutha in 1887. He resigned in 1896 to assess the British markets for New Zealand products, on his return to New Zealand he was elected to Parliament successively for Waihemo 1900–1902, Waikouaiti 1902–1908, Taieri 1908–1911 and Egmont 1911–1912, never losing an election. Mackenzie was also a notable explorer and he was a member of expeditions to the Tautuku Forest, the wild country between Milford Sound and Lake Te Anau, and the Matterhorn Mountains. He was the first person to try to map a route to Dusky Sound. He crossed the land between Lake Te Anau and Lake Wakatipu in 1907, in January 1909 he was appointed Minister of Industries and Commerce, Tourist and Health Resorts, Scenery Preservation and State Forestry Departments in the government of Sir Joseph Ward. In May he also became Minister of Agriculture with a seat in the Cabinet and he was then successively Minister of Customs, Minister of Education and Postmaster-General. In May 1912 he succeeded Ward as Prime Minister and also served as Minister of Lands, Mackenzies Ministry was criticised by both the opposition and Liberal dissidents. Liberal MP Roderick McKenzie stated that Mackenzies ministers were political novices who had forsaken their liberal principles, the Mackenzie government survived only until July 1912 when he lost a vote of no confidence and was appointed High Commissioner in London. In March 1921 he was appointed member of the New Zealand Legislative Council for Otago and he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1916 New Year Honours and promoted to Knight Grand Cross in June 1920. His son Clutha Mackenzie who was blinded at Gallipoli was active in work for the blind, in 1923 he supported Val Sanderson in establishing the Native Bird Protection Society and was the societys first president. Mackenzie died in Dunedin in 1930 and was buried in the Dunedin Northern Cemetery, Liberal Government of New Zealand Bassett, Michael. Three Party Politics in New Zealand 1911–1931, obituary, The Times,15 February 1930 Page on Thomas Mackenzie at New Zealand Prime Minister Website Biography in 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand Dusky Track, New Zealand
10.
Sir Charles Fergusson, 7th Baronet
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General Sir Charles Fergusson, 7th Baronet GCB, GCMG, DSO, MVO was a British Army officer and the third Governor-General of New Zealand. Charles was the son of Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet and he was educated at Eton College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, before joining the Grenadier Guards in 1883. He served in Sudan from 1896 to 1898, becoming Commanding Officer of the 15th Sudanese Regiment in 1899 and Commander of the Omdurman District in 1900. He was made Adjutant General of the Egyptian Army 1901 and Commanding Officer of 3rd Bn Grenadier Guards in 1904 before becoming a Brigadier-General on the staff of the Irish Command in 1907. He took the 5th Division to France in August 1914 at the start of the First World War and he commanded II Corps from January 1915 and then, from May 1916, XVII Corps which he led until the end of the war. After the war he was a Military Governor of Cologne before he retired in 1922 and his father, Sir James Fergusson, had served as a Governor of New Zealand, and his son Bernard Ballantrae was the tenth and last British-appointed Governor-General. On 20 June 1929 Fergusson was involved in a railway accident, the train hit a slip between Paekakariki and Pukerua Bay, with the locomotive falling down a steep bank and injuring the driver. The first three carriages of the train left the rails, but the Viceregal carriage remained on the tracks. Fergusson married Lady Alice Mary Boyle on 18 July 1901 and she was a daughter of David Boyle, 7th Earl of Glasgow. During his term as Governor-General, he was also Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand, after his term in New Zealand, he became chairman of the West Indies Closer Union Commission and was Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire from 1937 until his death on 20 February 1951
11.
Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe
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Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe GCMG KBE PC, was a British Conservative politician and colonial governor. He was Governor-General of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935 and he was born in London, the second son of Charles Bathurst, of Lydney Park and Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Col. Thomas Hay by Georgette Arnaud. He was educated at Sherborne School, Eton and then University College, Oxford and he then studied law and was admitted to the Inner Temple in 1892, when he gained an MA from Oxford. He was also called to the bar and he inherited Lydney Park on the death of his elder brother. Bathurst worked as a barrister and conveyancer and in 1910 entered parliament representing the Conservative Party as MP for the South or Wilton division of Wiltshire. He carried the task of ensuring the country had a supply of sugar when asked to chair the Royal Commission on Sugar Supply until 1919. Bathurst was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1917 and he remained in parliament until 1928, serving as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries from 1924 onwards. The following year he granted an honorary Doctorate of Science by Bristol University and was a member of the Privy Council from 1926, stanley Baldwin appointed Lord Bledisloe to chair the Royal Commission on Land Drainage probably owing to his own experiences on the banks of the Severn in Gloucestershire. But it was his last such honour until being posted overseas and his social conscience was much appreciated during the Depression era, as was his insistence that his salary should be cut as were the salaries of public servants at the time. Bledisloe also contributed to improved Pākehā – Māori relations, purchasing the site where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, in 1934, the site was dedicated as a national reserve. The dedication ceremony attracted thousands of people, both Māori and Pākehā, Bledisloe continued to take an interest in the site even after his term expired and he returned to England. Bledisloe also contributed to the recognition of the Māori King Movement by developing a friendship with King Koroki and Te Puea Herangi, and his willingness to use the title king without reticence. In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal. and honorary doctorate of laws from Oxford. Upon returning to England he was elevated on 24 June 1935 to Viscount Bledisloe. He continued to serve on a number of committees and councils and he received the Kings Coronation Medal from George VI in 1937, being admitted at the same time as Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. Bledisloe was a director of LLoyds Bank and the Australasian Mutual Provident Society, Lord Bledisloe died, aged 90, at Lydney on 3 July 1958, and was succeeded as Viscount Bledisloe by his eldest son, Benjamin Ludlow Bathurst. During his term as Governor-General, he was also Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand, Charles Bathurst married Hon Bertha Susan, daughter of Henry Charles Lopes, 1st Baron Ludlow by Cordelia Clark. They had issue, two boys and a girl and he held this position for 70 years until his death and was succeeded as by his eldest son, Benjamin Ludlow Bathurst
12.
Gordon Coates
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Joseph Gordon Coates, MC and bar served as the 21st Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1925 to 1928. He was the third successive Reform prime minister since 1912, later, serving as Minister of Public Works and of Finance, he instituted rigorous policies to combat the economic depression of the 1930s. He received an education at a local school, and his well-educated mother also tutored him. He became an accomplished horseman, although an accident left him with a bad leg for the rest of his life, the large Māori population of the area meant that Coates grew up proficient in the Māori language. Gossip suggests that before his marriage, Coates had two children by a Māori woman and he allegedly became engaged to Eva Ingall, a teacher, but her father forbade marriage on the grounds that the illness of Coates father might prove hereditary. Eventually, in 1914, he married Marjorie Grace Coles, by whom he had five daughters, Coates first became involved in politics through the Otamatea County Council, to which he won election in 1905. Later, from 1913 to 1916, he served as the Councils chairman and he had previously distinguished himself as commander of the Otamatea Mounted Rifle Volunteers, and had a good local reputation. In the 1911 elections, Coates won the Kaipara seat, having stood as an independent candidate aligned with the Liberal Party, in Parliament he generally voted with the Liberals, and formed part of the group that allowed Joseph Ward to keep his position as Prime Minister. When Ward resigned and Thomas Mackenzie replaced him, Coates declined the offer of a ministerial position, gradually, however, Coates distanced himself from the Liberal Party — primarily because of his strong belief in freehold for farmers, which the Liberals generally opposed. Coates had developed this belief due to his own experience with leasehold on his familys farm, when a vote of no confidence took place in 1912, Coates voted against the Liberals, helping the opposition Reform Party come to power. By 1914, Coates had formally joined Reform and he did not, however, act as a particularly partisan member, and made friends with politicians of many different political shades. His political activities focused primarily on improving services for the Far North. At the outbreak of World War I, Coates attempted to enlist for active service, in November 1916, however, Coates finally gained permission to join up — he served with considerable distinction, winning a Military Cross and bar. When he returned to New Zealand, many saw him as a hero, and on 2 September 1919 Massey appointed him to Cabinet as Minister of Justice, Postmaster-General and he later became Minister of Public Works and Minister of Railways. From March 1921, Coates served as Minister of Native Affairs and he became a friend of Āpirana Ngata, and worked with him to help address Māori concerns. Coates prominence gradually increased to the point where people saw him as a successor to Massey. When Massey died on 10 May 1925, Francis Bell became Prime Minister on a basis while the Party debated its leadership. On 30 May 1925 Coates became Prime Minister, having defeated William Nosworthy in a caucus ballot, Coates premiership was marked by an intention to develop the rural economy of New Zealand, from which he stemmed
13.
George Forbes (New Zealand politician)
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George William Forbes served as the 22nd Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935. Few expected him to become Prime Minister when he did, and some believed him unsuitable for the post and he nevertheless remained in power for five years. Often referred to as Honest George, Forbes had a reputation for probity, rare debating skill and his courteous and friendly attitude earned him the liking and respect of parliamentarians from all sides of the House. Forbes headed the government that eventually became the modern National Party. Forbes was born in Lyttelton, just outside the city of Christchurch and he gained his education at Christchurch Boys High School in Christchurch, and did not attend university. He became known for his ability at sport, particularly in athletics, rowing, after finishing school he briefly worked in his fathers ships chandlery business in Lyttelton, but later established himself as a successful farmer near Cheviot, to the north of Christchurch. He quickly became active in the politics of the region, particularly with regard to the Cheviot County Council. At the 1902 election, Forbes made his first attempt to enter national politics and he stood as an independent, having failed to gain the Liberal Party nomination. At the 1908 election, however, he became the Liberal Partys official Hurunui candidate and he would hold this seat for thirty-five years. Forbes remained a backbencher for some time, but became the Liberal Partys Whip when party leader Thomas Mackenzie became Prime Minister in March 1912 and he retained this position when his party went into Opposition on 10 July 1912. However, he had considerably higher status within the party than his official responsibilities indicated, by the early 1920s, the Liberal Party faced a decision as to its political future. Many members of the Liberal Party believed an alliance with the Reform Party inevitable, when Massey died in 1925, Liberal leader Thomas Wilford decided to approach Masseys successor with a merger-proposal, suggesting that the new party could use the name the National Party. The Liberal Party chose Forbes to represent them at a joint conference, the new Reform Party leader, Gordon Coates, rejected the proposal, although Wilford declared that Liberal would adopt the name National regardless. Shortly after the proposal was rejected, Wilford resigned as leader. In the election later that year, however, the party did very badly, the partys poor fortune did not last long, however. The former Liberal Party absorbed Davys new United New Zealand Political Organization, Forbes and Veitch both vied as candidates for the leadership of the United Party, but the position eventually went to a former Liberal Party Prime Minister, Joseph Ward. Forbes became one of two deputy leaders, having responsibility for the South Island. Under the United banner, bolstered by Reform Party dissidents, the remnants of the old Liberal Party once again gained traction, in the 1928 elections, United formed a government with backing from the Labour Party
14.
Minister of Finance (New Zealand)
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The Minister of Finance, originally known as Colonial Treasurer, is a senior figure within the government of New Zealand. The position is considered to be the most important cabinet post after that of the Prime Minister. The current Minister of Finance is Steven Joyce, there are also two Associate Minister roles. They are currently held by Amy Adams and Simon Bridges, the Minister of Finance is responsible for producing an annual New Zealand budget outlining the governments proposed expenditure. According to Parliaments Standing Orders, the Minister of Finance may veto any bill which would have a significant impact on the governments budget plans. The Minister of Finance also supervises the Treasury, which is the primary advisor on matters of economic. As such, the Minister of Finance has broad control of the spending, making the position quite powerful. Some analysts, such as Jonathan Boston, claim that the Minister of Finance can sometimes hold more influence than the Prime Minister, gordon Coates, Finance Minister in the early 1930s, was sometimes such a figure. The office of Minister of Finance has existed since 1841, apart from the office of Prime Minister itself, the only other cabinet posts to have existed since the first cabinet are those of Attorney-General and Minister of Internal Affairs. Originally, the holder of the post was designated Colonial Treasurer and this occurred in 1907, during the cabinet of Joseph Ward. In the past, several Prime Ministers took on the post of Minister of Finance themselves, robert Muldoon, the last person to concurrently serve as Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, created considerable controversy by doing so. It is more common, however, for a Deputy Prime Minister to serve as Minister of Finance, bob Tizard, Michael Cullen and the current Prime Minister Bill English served as Deputy Prime Minister when in the position as Minister of Finance. After the 1996 elections, the role of the Minister of Finance was split between two portfolios – that of Minister of Finance and that of Treasurer. The position of Treasurer was senior to that of the Minister of Finance and it was established especially for Winston Peters, leader of New Zealand First, who demanded it as part of the deal
15.
Richard Seddon
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Richard John Seddon PC is to date the longest-serving Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is regarded as one of New Zealands greatest political leaders, sometimes derisively known as King Dick for his autocratic style, Seddon dominated the Liberal government for thirteen years, achieving many social and economic changes. Seddon was born in Eccleston near St Helens, Lancashire, England in 1845 and his father Thomas Seddon was a school headmaster, and his mother Jane Lindsay was a teacher. They married on 8 February 1842 at Christ Church, Eccleston and their children were, Thomas born 1842, who died 1849 Phoebe Ellen born 1843 died 1925 in New Zealand. Despite this background, Seddon did not perform well at school, despite his parents attempt to give him a classical education, Seddon developed an interest in engineering, but was removed from school at age 12. After working on his grandfather Richards farm at Barrow Nook Hall for two years, Seddon was an apprentice at Daglishs Foundry in St Helens and he later worked at Vauxhall foundry in Liverpool, where he attained a Board of Trade Certificate as a mechanical engineer. On 15 June 1862, at the age of 16, Seddon decided to emigrate to Australia and he later provided his reasoning, A restlessness to get away to see new, broad lands seized me, My work was irksome. He entered the workshops at Melbourne, Victoria. He was caught by the fever and went to Bendigo. He did not meet with any great success, in either 1865 or 1866, he became engaged to Louisa Jane Spotswood, but her family would not permit marriage until Seddon was more financially secure. In 1866, Seddon moved to New Zealands West Coast, initially, he worked the goldfields in Waimea. He is believed to have prospered here, and he returned briefly to Melbourne to marry Louisa and he established a store, and then expanded his business to include the sale of alcohol, becoming a publican. He was followed to the West Coast by his older sister Phoebe, younger brothers Edward and Jim, Phoebe married William Cunliffe on 9 May 1863 at Holy Trinity Church Eccleston. Their son Bill was Labour MP David Cunliffes grandfather, making Richard Seddon David Cunliffes great-great-uncle, Seddons first real involvement with politics was with various local bodies, such as the Arahura Road Board. In 1874 elected to the council of Westland Province, representing Arahura and he lost this position with the abolition of the provinces in 1876. Gradually, Seddon became known along the West Coast as an advocate for rights and interests. In 1877, Seddon was elected as the first Mayor of Kumara and he had staked a claim in Kumara the previous year, and had shortly afterwards moved his business there. Despite occasional financial troubles, his career prospered
16.
John Ballance
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John Ballance was an Irish-born New Zealand politician who was the 14th Premier of New Zealand, at the end of the 19th century, the founder of the Liberal Party, and a Georgist. The eldest son of Samuel Ballance, a tenant farmer, and he was educated at a national school, then apprenticed to an ironmonger in Belfast. He later became a clerk in a wholesale house in Birmingham. Ballance was highly interested in literature, and was known for spending vast amounts of reading books. He also became interested in politics, mostly due to the influence of his parents – his father was active in conservative circles and it was from his mother that Ballance gained many of the ideas he was later to promote. Having witnessed religious rioting when in Belfast, he committed to the principle of secularism. In 1866, Ballance and his wife migrated to New Zealand, after settling in Wanganui, however, he took an opportunity to found a newspaper, The Wanganui Herald. He became the editor, and remained owner for the rest of his life. During the fighting with the Māori chief Titokowaru in 1867, Ballance was involved in the raising of a cavalry troop. He was later deprived of this owing to the appearance in the Herald of articles criticising the management of the campaign and he behaved well in the field, and, in spite of his dismissal, was awarded the New Zealand Medal. Following the conflict, Ballances status in Wanganui grew and he was respected for his management of the Herald, particularly his forthright and direct approach to reporting. He became increasingly involved in the affairs of the town, establishing a number of societies, perhaps the least important to Wanganui but among the most important to him was the chess club – he became a skilled player. In 1868 his wife Fanny died of illness, aged only 24, two years later, he married Ellen Anderson, daughter of a Wellington architect. Ballance first contemplated moving into politics in 1872, putting his name forward as a candidate for the seat of Egmont in a parliamentary by-election. However, Ballance withdrew from the ballot before the vote was held, in 1875, Ballance entered Parliament, having won Rangitikei in a by-election. He campaigned on two major issues – the abolition of the provinces and the provision of free education, Ballance soon made his presence felt in Wellington. The abolition of the provinces occurred in 1876 under Julius Vogel—after which Ballance turned his attention to promoting closer land settlement, in 1877, Ballance entered the cabinet of Sir George Grey, a former Governor who was then Premier. Greys policies were not closely aligned with those of Ballance, and he was Minister of Customs, Minister of Education, and later Colonial Treasurer
17.
Arthur Myers
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Sir Arthur Mielziner Myers was a New Zealand politician. He was Mayor of Auckland City from 1905 to 1909, Member of the House of Representatives from 1910 to 1921, and a Cabinet Minister. Today he is remembered mainly for the works constructed in Auckland during his term as Mayor. Myers was born in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, the child of Louis Myers, following the death of his father in 1870, his mother moved to Wellington, New Zealand. Myers went to Wellington College from 1880 to 1883 and his main sporting interests were rowing and swimming. The family moved to Auckland in 1886, where his uncle, later, in 1897, the successful brewery was combined with that of Logan Campbell to form Campbell and Ehrenfried. An able administrator and already something of a wizard at the age of 30. In 1903 Myers journeyed to London to marry Vera Anita Levy who he had met two years before and she was the daughter of Benjamin Levy, one of the owners of a large British business empire with interests in Australia. Married in London, they returned to New Zealand, where his wife became a well-known hostess and it was she who encouraged Myers to eventually run for public office. Myers ran for and succeeded in becoming Mayor of Auckland City for the term 1905 to 1909 and he improved the finances of the city administration, improved services such as the water supply and drainage. The construction of the new Auckland Town Hall was largely due to his efforts, one of his few major failures was an unsuccessful attempt to reduce the plethora of local Councils then governing the Auckland Isthmus. Nevertheless, he had known as a popular and effective politician. Myers donated the Myers cup to the new Auckland Rugby League in 1910 and it was contested as the top prize in the inaugural 1910 season and again in 1911. In 1914 Myers was elected the Auckland Rugby League president and he served in this role until his death in 1926. After a break from politics for a tour, he entered Parliament for the seat of Auckland East in the 1910 by-election, replacing his cousin Frederick Baume. He held his seat until 3 October 1921 when he resigned between general elections, resulting in the 1921 by-election and he was an Independent initially, and from 1911 he stood for the Liberal Party. In the short-lived Mackenzie Ministry of 28 March to 10 July 1912 he held three important portfolios, Finance, Defence, Railways, also the Tax Department, in 1924 he was knighted for services to his country. The departure was seen a loss by many locals
18.
William Massey
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William Ferguson Massey, often known as Bill Massey or Farmer Bill, was the 19th Prime Minister of New Zealand, from 1912 to 1925, and the founder of the Reform Party. He is widely considered to have one of the more skilled politicians of his time. After Richard Seddon, he is the second-longest-serving Prime Minister of New Zealand, Massey was born in 1856 into a Protestant farming family, and grew up in Limavady, County Londonderry in Ireland. His father John Massey and his mother Marianne née Ferguson were tenant farmers and his family arrived in New Zealand on 21 October 1862 on board the Indian Empire as Nonconformist settlers, although Massey remained in Ireland for a further eight years to complete his education. After arriving on 10 December 1870 on the City of Auckland, Massey worked as a farmhand for some years before acquiring his own farm in Mangere, south Auckland, in 1882 Massey married his neighbours daughter, Christina Allan Paul. Massey gradually became prominent in his community. This was partly due to his involvement in the school board, the debating society. Because of his prominence in these circles, he involved in political debate. In 1893 Massey stood as a candidate in the election in the Franklin electorate, losing to the Liberal candidate. In early 1894 he was invited to contest a by-election in the electorate of Waitemata. In the 1896 election he stood for the Franklin electorate, which he represented until he died in 1925, Massey joined the ranks of the independent MPs opposing the Liberal Party, led by Richard Seddon. They were poorly organised and dispirited, and had little chance of unseating the Liberals, William Russell, the Leader of the Opposition, was able to command only 15 votes. Massey brought increased vigour to the conservative faction, while the conservatives rallied for a time, support for the Liberals increased markedly during the Second Boer War, leaving the conservatives devastated. Masseys political career survived the period, despite a challenge by William Herries, after Seddons death the Liberals were led by Joseph Ward, who proved more vulnerable to Masseys attacks. In particular, Massey made gains by claiming that alleged corruption and his conservative politics also benefited him when voters grew concerned about militant unionism and the supposed threat of socialism. In February 1909, Massey announced the creation of the Reform Party from his New Zealand Political Reform League, the party was to be led by him and backed by his conservative colleagues. In the 1911 election the Reform Party won more seats than the Liberal Party, the Liberals, relying on support from independents who had not joined Reform, were able to stay in power until the following year, when they lost a vote of confidence. Massey was sworn in as Prime Minister on 10 July 1912, two days later it was reported in the press on 12 July that he had accepted the appointment of Honorary Commandant of the Auckland District of the Legion of Frontiersmen
19.
James Allen (New Zealand politician)
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Sir James Allen GCMG KCB VD was a prominent New Zealand politician and diplomat. He held a number of the most important political offices in the country, including Minister of Finance and he was also New Zealands Minister of Defence during World War I. Allen was born in Adelaide, Australia. After his mothers death, his father took him to Dunedin, New Zealand. In either 1861 or 1862, however, Allen and his brother were given into the care of an uncle in Somerset, shortly afterwards, Allens father also died, leaving him an orphan. Despite this rather turbulent beginning to his life, Allen made a good start, after first attending Clifton College in Bristol, he gained admittance to St Johns College at Cambridge University. He graduated with a BA in 1877, shortly afterwards, Allen decided to return to Dunedin, where he had inherited a significant amount of property from his father. In Dunedin, Allen was highly successful, serving on the City Council and he left for England once again in 1883, studying at the Royal School of Mines for several years. When he returned to Dunedin, he established a presence in Otagos coal, in 1887, Allen decided to enter national politics, standing in the Dunedin East seat as a conservative opponent to Robert Stout, the Premier. Few expected a first-time challenger to defeat the Premier, but amazingly, Allens own tenure as MP for Dunedin East was short, however, as he was himself voted out of office at the next election. In 1892, however, Allen returned to Parliament after winning a by-election in the rural Otago electorate of Bruce, gradually, Allen developed a reputation as a solid performer in Parliament. He lacked the skills at oratory of some of his contemporaries, but he was nevertheless considered dependable, reasonable, and practical. When Reform won the 1911 election, Massey became Prime Minister and his primary responsibilities were finance, education, and defence in the Reform Government, and he was very active in all three portfolios. As Minister of Finance, he attempted to curtail the spending of the outgoing Premier, Joseph Ward, as Minister of Education, he was responsible for legislation that guaranteed statutory funding for universities. As Minister of Defence, he encouraged New Zealands development of naval and air capabilities independent of the United Kingdom and he also reversed the previous governments policy of opposing close defence co-operation with Australia. In World War I, Allen was a figure in New Zealands war effort. His reforms of the training program were widely credited with allowing a rapid deployment of New Zealand forces. In August 1915, a coalition government was formed, and Allen lost his finance and education roles to members of the erstwhile Opposition. Towards the end of the war, when both Massey and Ward travelled overseas for meetings and conferences, Allen was Acting Prime Minister - in total, he spent nearly two years in this role
20.
Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand)
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The Leader of the Opposition in New Zealand is the politician who, at least in theory, commands the support of the non-government bloc of members in the Parliament of New Zealand. In the debating chamber the Leader of the Opposition sits directly opposite the Prime Minister, the current Leader of the Opposition is Andrew Little, the Leader of the Labour Party. By convention, the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest party of the Opposition, the Leader of the Opposition does not have a large official role, as most of the posts functions are ceremonial. Nevertheless, there are ways in which the Leader of the Opposition participates directly in affairs of state. The Leader of the Opposition also receives a higher salary than other members of the Opposition, for much of the countrys early history, the role was not a formal one. It was only when the Liberal Party was formed that any unified leadership appeared in Parliament, john Ballance, leader of the Liberals is usually considered the first Leader of the Opposition in the modern sense. When Ballance led the Liberals into government in 1891, they faced no opposition in a party sense. However, their opponents gradually coalesced around a leader, William Massey, who became Opposition leader in 1903, and in 1909 became the first leader of the new Reform Party. After this, the Leader of the Opposition would always be the leader of the largest party in the House of Representatives that had not undertaken to support the Government of the day. One notable exception to this was during World War I, when the opposition Liberal Party accepted the governing Reform Partys offer to form a wartime coalition, Prime Minister Massey also extended the offer to the new Labour Party who rejected it. This made Labour the largest party not in government, however their leader Alfred Hindmarsh was not recognized as the Leader of the Opposition, joseph Ward, who became Deputy Prime Minister in the wartime cabinet still retained the title, albeit in name only. During the 1910s and 1920s, the role of Opposition alternated between the Liberal and Reform parties, after the 1925 Election there was no official Leader of the Opposition until Rex Mason of Labour won the seat of Eden in the by-election held on 15 April 1926. Labour became superseded the Liberals as the opposition and their leader Harry Holland became Leader of the Opposition. The 1928 General Election put United in government for the last time, Reform then became the Opposition, however in 1931 Reform entered into coalition with the Liberals, and Labour then became the Opposition, despite being the third party. With the introduction of the MMP voting system, first used in the 1996 general elections, now, though the leader of the largest non-Government party still becomes the Leader of the Opposition, there will usually be several parties who are in opposition. An example of this arose after the 2002 general elections, when the National Party gained only 27 seats and this prompted calls from a number of parties, notably New Zealand First and the Greens, for the abolition or reform of the post. It was argued by these parties that the position had become an anachronism in the modern multi-party environment, however, with the resurrection of the National Party in the 2005 general election, a more traditional relationship between Government and Opposition has been restored. A table of Leaders of the Opposition is below, the table begins in 1891, when the first real political party was founded
21.
William MacDonald (New Zealand politician)
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William Donald Stuart MacDonald was a New Zealand politician, Cabinet Minister, and briefly Leader of the Opposition. MacDonald was born in Victoria in 1862 and he emigrated to Poverty Bay in New Zealand in 1882. He managed several sheep stations during his career and he was Member of the House of Representatives for the Bay of Plenty from 1908 to 1920. He served as Minister of Public Works and Minister of Māori Affairs in the short lived 1912 cabinet of Thomas Mackenzie, in 1919, following Joseph Wards failure to gain re-election, MacDonald was elected leader of the Liberal Party. He filled that role until his death in 1920, MacDonald died suddenly in his Kelburn home of a heart attack aged 56. He left a widow, two sons and three daughters, Liberal campaign, speech delivered by Mr. W. D. S. Macdonald, M. P. for Bay of Plenty, at Te Karaka, gisborne, Printed at the Herald Office. Reprinted from the Poverty Bay Herald, Friday May 8th,1914, p.2
22.
Harry Holland
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Henry Edmund Harry Holland was an Australian-born newspaper owner, politician and unionist who relocated to New Zealand. He was the leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. Holland was born near Queanbeyan, a town in New South Wales located quite close to modern Canberra, initially, he worked on his parents farm, but later was apprenticed as a compositor for the Queanbeyan Times. Holland did not receive an education, but developed an enthusiasm for reading. He also became religious, joining the Salvation Army. In 1887, Holland left Queanbeyan to work in Sydney, shortly afterwards, on 6 October 1888, he married Annie McLachlan, whom he had met at a Salvation Army meeting. The two were to have five sons and three daughters, in 1890, however, Holland found himself unemployed, putting the family in a poor financial position. Holland left the Salvation Army at this point, believing that its response to poverty was inadequate and he remained, however, quite strongly religious. Holland joined the small Australian Socialist League in 1892, later, he and a friend began to publish a socialist journal — in 1896, he was convicted of libelling the superintendent of the New South Wales Labour Bureau, and served three months in prison. Upon his release, the journal was moved to Newcastle for a time, in 1901, Holland stood as a candidate for the Australian Senate and the state seat of Lang. He was standing for the Socialist Labor Party, having rejected the Labor Party as too moderate and he did not make any significant impression. Later, in 1907, he stood in the New South Wales state elections, Holland had acquired a reputation of arrogance and egotism, and was convinced beyond all doubt that his views were correct. In 1909, Holland was convicted of sedition, having advocated violent revolution against capitalism during the strike at Broken Hill. He was jailed for two years and he received little sympathy from the socialist movement, which considered his actions during the strike to be provocation and posturing. This embittered Holland considerably, and he suffered serious depression. In 1912, after his release from jail, Holland soon found himself in trouble with the law again and this time, it resulted from his refusal to register his son for compulsory military training. Rather than pay a fine, Holland left Australia and travelled to New Zealand, at the time of Hollands arrival, Waihi was descending into chaos. A bitter miners strike, the most significant industrial action that New Zealand had yet seen, was underway, the strike eventually led to the death of a miner in a shoot-out with police
23.
Wellington
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Wellington is the capital and second most populous urban area of New Zealand, with 405,000 residents. It is at the tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. Wellington is the population centre of the southern North Island and is the administrative centre of the Wellington Region. It is the worlds windiest city, with a wind speed of over 26 km/h. Situated near the centre of the country, Wellington was well placed for trade. In 1839 it was chosen as the first major planned settlement for British immigrants coming to New Zealand, the settlement was named in honour of the Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington and victor of the Battle of Waterloo. As the nations capital since 1865, the New Zealand Government and Parliament, Supreme Court, despite being much smaller than Auckland, Wellington is also referred to as New Zealands cultural capital. The city is home to the National Archives, the National Library, architectural sights include the Government Building—one of the largest wooden buildings in the world—as well as the iconic Beehive. Wellington plays host to artistic and cultural organisations, including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. It has an urban culture, with many cafés, restaurants. One of the worlds most liveable cities, the 2014 Mercer Quality of Living Survey ranked Wellington 12th in the world, Wellingtons economy is primarily service-based, with an emphasis on finance, business services, and government. It is the centre of New Zealands film and special effects industries, Wellington ranks as one of New Zealands chief seaports and serves both domestic and international shipping. The city is served by Wellington International Airport, the third busiest airport in the country, Wellingtons transport network includes train and bus lines which reach as far as the Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa, and ferries connect the city to the South Island. Wellington takes its name from Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington and victor of the Battle of Waterloo, his title comes from the town of Wellington in the English county of Somerset. One of the founders of the settlement, Edward Jerningham Wakefield, reported that the settlers took up the views of the directors with great cordiality, in Māori, Wellington has three names. In New Zealand Sign Language, the name is signed by raising the index, middle and ring fingers of one hand, palm forward, to form a W, and shaking it slightly from side to side twice. The citys location close to the mouth of the narrow Cook Strait leads to its vulnerability to strong gales, legends recount that Kupe discovered and explored the district in about the 10th century. The earliest date with hard evidence for Maori living in New Zealand is about 1280, European settlement began with the arrival of an advance party of the New Zealand Company on the ship Tory on 20 September 1839, followed by 150 settlers on the Aurora on 22 January 1840
24.
New Zealand Liberal Party
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The New Zealand Liberal Party was the first real political party in New Zealand. It governed from 1891 until 1912, the Liberal strategy was to create a large class of small land-owning farmers who supported Liberal ideals, by buying large tracts of Maori land and selling it to small farmers on credit. In 1893 it extended voting rights to women, making New Zealand the first country in the world to enact universal female suffrage, New Zealand gained international attention for the Liberal reforms, especially how the state regulated labour relations. Of special note were innovations in the areas of maximum hour regulations, minimum wage laws, the goal was to encourage unions but discourage strikes and class conflict. The impact was strong on the reform movement in the United States. Coleman argues that the Liberals in 1891 lacked a clearcut ideology to guide them, instead they approached the nations problems pragmatically, keeping in mind the constraints imposed by democratic public opinion. To deal with the issue of distribution, they worked out innovative solutions to access, tenure. Out of office after 1912, the Liberals gradually found themselves pressed between the conservative Reform Party and the growing Labour Party, the Liberals fragmented in the 1920s, and the remnants of the Liberal Party eventually merged with Reform in 1936 to establish the modern National Party. Prior to the establishment of the Liberal Party, MPs were all independent, some of these factions were occasionally referred to as parties, but were vague and ill-defined. Towards the 1880s, however, factions had gradually become stabilised along lines of liberalism and conservatism, the key figure in the establishment of the Liberal Party was John Ballance. Ballance, an MP, had served in a number of liberal-orientated governments, and had held office in posts such as Treasurer, Minister of Defence and he had a well-established reputation as a liberal, and was known for supporting land reform, womens suffrage, and Māori rights. In the 1890 elections, Ballance led his faction to victory. Ballance and his allies, recognising the benefit that they had gained from their unity, the Liberal Party, with common policies and a well-defined leadership, was proclaimed. The Liberal Party drew its support from two basic sources — the cities, and small farmers, in the cities, the Liberals were supported particularly strongly by workers and labourers, but also by the more socially progressive members of the middle class. In the countryside, the Liberals won support from farmers who lacked the ability to compete with the large runholders. Both groups saw themselves as being mistreated and oppressed by what had been described as New Zealands early colonial gentry — the well-educated and aristocratic land-owners and commercial magnates. It was this group that most strongly opposed the Liberal Party, in power, the Liberals enacted a large number of reforms. This was made possible by their unity — previously, reforms had stalled due to the need for long, among the changes introduced were land reforms, progressive taxes on land and income, and legislation to improve the working conditions of urban labourers
25.
United Party (New Zealand)
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Note that United Party members of parliament are included in the Category, New Zealand Liberal Party MPs. The United Party represented a resurgence of the Liberals. The United Party emerged from a faction of the decaying Liberal Party known as the National Party, George Forbes, a Liberal Party leader, led the faction. In 1927 Forbes joined with Bill Veitch and with Albert Davy, the new organisation adopted the name the United Party. This reflected in shortened form the name of the United New Zealand Political Organisation, Forbes and Veitch both contested the leadership, but eventually, Joseph Ward won the position. Although Ward, a former Liberal Prime Minister in 1906 -1912, did not enjoy the best of health, so 42,000 votes and five seats went to United, compared with 8,800 votes and no seats in the previous election. In the 1928 elections, the new United Party performed surprisingly well, the Reform Party also had twenty-seven seats, the Labour Party had nineteen, the Country Party had one, and independents held six. The United Party formed a government with the backing of the Labour Party, the United Party administration did not run particularly smoothly, however. Wards ill health persisted, and by the time he resigned in 1930. Wards deputy, George Forbes became Prime Minister after Wards departure, in 1931 the United government passed a number of economic measures which appeared unfavourable to workers, and the Labour Party withdrew its support. The United Party continued in office with reluctant support from the Reform Party, later the same year, formal coalition talks took place between United, Reform, and Labour, with a unity government proposed to counter the depression. Labour eventually walked out of the talks, but Reform leader Gordon Coates eventually agreed to form a coalition between United and Reform. Forbes, backed by dissident members of Reform, managed to win the leadership of the coalition government, in the 1931 elections, the coalition worked in close co-operation, and won fifty-one out of the eighty seats. United and Reform between them had held a few more seats before, but their combined tally exceeded what many had anticipated in light of the economic conditions. The government did not exhibit great stability, however — particularly strong tensions arose between Coates and Downie Stewart, who clashed over the best response to the economic problems. Coates eventually won, and Stewart resigned, in the 1935 elections, the coalition of United and Reform once again worked together. Anger at the ongoing economic problems remained high, however. In addition, Albert Davy had founded a new anti-socialist party, the Democrats, Forbes, still the nominal leader of the coalition, appeared tired and apathetic
26.
Vincent Ward (politician)
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Vincent Aubrey Ward, CBE was a New Zealand Member of Parliament and a Member of the Legislative Council. Born in Bluff in 1886, he was a son of the late Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward and he married Sybil Mary Petre in 1927. He replaced his father in the 13 August 1930 by-election for the seat of Invercargill that was held after Sir Joseph died. He stood for the United Party, vincent Ward retired from politics at the next general election in 1931. He was appointed to the Legislative Council on 22 June 1934, at the expiry of his first term, he was reappointed on 23 June 1941. He served until his death on 9 February 1946, in 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal. He was appointed a CBE in 1946, ministers and Members in the New Zealand Parliament
27.
Irish Catholics
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Irish Catholics are people who are Catholic and Irish. Divisions between Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants played a role in the history of Ireland from the 16th to the 20th century, especially the Home Rule Crisis. While religion broadly marks the delineation of these divisions, the contentions were primarily political, in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 Catholics and Presbyterians, who were not part of the established Church of Ireland, found common cause. Irish Catholics are found in countries around the world, especially in the English-speaking world. Emigration following the Famine in the late 1840s saw the population drop from over 8 million to just over 4 million, today, Irish Catholics are very well established in the United States and are part of mainstream American society. Endnotes Library of Congress The Irish Catholic Diaspora in America, describes the book ISBN 0-8132-0896-3 St. Colman Mac Duagh On Irish Catholics of Australia
28.
Melbourne
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Melbourne is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in Australia and Oceania. The name Melbourne refers to an urban agglomeration spanning 9,900 km2, the metropolis is located on the large natural bay of Port Phillip and expands into the hinterlands towards the Dandenong and Macedon mountain ranges, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. It has a population of 4,641,636 as of 2016, and its inhabitants are called Melburnians. Founded by free settlers from the British Crown colony of Van Diemens Land on 30 August 1835, in what was then the colony of New South Wales, it was incorporated as a Crown settlement in 1837. It was named Melbourne by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Richard Bourke, in honour of the British Prime Minister of the day, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. It was officially declared a city by Queen Victoria, to whom Lord Melbourne was close, in 1847, during the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s, it was transformed into one of the worlds largest and wealthiest cities. After the federation of Australia in 1901, it served as the interim seat of government until 1927. It is a financial centre in the Asia-Pacific region. It is recognised as a UNESCO City of Literature and a centre for street art, music. It was the host city of the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the main passenger airport serving the metropolis and the state is Melbourne Airport, the second busiest in Australia. The Port of Melbourne is Australias busiest seaport for containerised and general cargo, Melbourne has an extensive transport network. The main metropolitan train terminus is Flinders Street Station, and the regional train. Melbourne is also home to Australias most extensive network and has the worlds largest urban tram network. Before the arrival of settlers, humans had occupied the area for an estimated 31,000 to 40,000 years. At the time of European settlement, it was inhabited by under 2000 hunter-gatherers from three indigenous tribes, the Wurundjeri, Boonwurrung and Wathaurong. The area was an important meeting place for the clans of the Kulin nation alliance and it would be 30 years before another settlement was attempted. Batman selected a site on the bank of the Yarra River. Batman then returned to Launceston in Tasmania, in early August 1835 a different group of settlers, including John Pascoe Fawkner, left Launceston on the ship Enterprize
29.
Victoria (Australia)
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Victoria is a state in southeast Australia. Victoria is Australias most densely populated state and its second-most populous state overall, most of its population is concentrated in the area surrounding Port Phillip Bay, which includes the metropolitan area of its state capital and largest city, Melbourne, Australias second-largest city. Prior to British European settlement, the area now constituting Victoria was inhabited by a number of Aboriginal peoples. With Great Britain having claimed the entire Australian continent east of the 135th meridian east in 1788, Victoria was included in the wider colony of New South Wales. The first settlement in the area occurred in 1803 at Sullivan Bay, and much of what is now Victoria was included in the Port Phillip District in 1836, Victoria was officially created as a separate colony in 1851, and achieved self-government in 1855. Politically, Victoria has 37 seats in the Australian House of Representatives and 12 seats in the Australian Senate, at state level, the Parliament of Victoria consists of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. Victoria is currently governed by the Labor Party, with Daniel Andrews the current Premier, the personal representative of the Queen of Australia in the state is the Governor of Victoria, currently Linda Dessau. Local government is concentrated in 79 municipal districts, including 33 cities, although a number of unincorporated areas still exist, Victorias total gross state product is ranked second in Australia, although Victoria is ranked fourth in terms of GSP per capita because of its limited mining activity. Culturally, Melbourne is home to a number of museums, art galleries and theatres and is described as the sporting capital of Australia. The Melbourne Cricket Ground is the largest stadium in Australia, and the host of the 1956 Summer Olympics, Victoria has eight public universities, with the oldest, the University of Melbourne, having been founded in 1853. Victoria, like Queensland, was named after Queen Victoria, who had been on the British throne for 14 years when the colony was established in 1851. The first British settlement in the later known as Victoria was established in October 1803 under Lieutenant-Governor David Collins at Sullivan Bay on Port Phillip. In the year 1826 Colonel Stewart, Captain S. Wright, fly and the brigs Dragon and Amity, took a number of convicts and a small force composed of detachments of the 3rd and 93rd regiments. Victorias next settlement was at Portland, on the south west coast of what is now Victoria, edward Henty settled Portland Bay in 1834. Melbourne was founded in 1835 by John Batman, who set up a base in Indented Head, from settlement the region around Melbourne was known as the Port Phillip District, a separately administered part of New South Wales. Shortly after the now known as Geelong was surveyed by Assistant Surveyor W. H. Smythe. And in 1838 Geelong was officially declared a town, despite earlier white settlements dating back to 1826, days later, still in 1851 gold was discovered near Ballarat, and subsequently at Bendigo. Later discoveries occurred at sites across Victoria
30.
Invercargill
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Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff. Many streets in the city, especially in the centre and main shopping district, are named after rivers in Great Britain, mainly Scotland. These include the main streets Dee and Tay, as well as named after the Forth, Tyne, Esk, Don, Thames, Mersey, Ness, Yarrow, Spey. The 2013 census showed the population was 51,696, up 2. 7% on the 2006 census number, Southland was a scene of early extended contact between Europeans and Maori, notably whalers and missionaries – Wohlers at Ruapuke. In 1853, Walter Mantell purchased Murihiku from local Maori iwi, Otago, of which Southland was itself part, was the subject of planned settlement by the Free Church, an offshoot of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Settlement broadened with the discovery of gold in Central Otago in the 1860s, today, traces of Scottish speech persist in Southland voices, with R often pronounced with a rolling burr. This is more noticeable among country people, in 1856, a petition was put forward to Thomas Gore Browne, the Governor of New Zealand, for a port at Bluff. Due to the Otago gold rush, the population grew during the 1860s with the settlement of Bluff. Browne agreed to the petition and gave the name Invercargill to the settlement north of the port, the settlements chief surveyor was John Turnbull Thomson, a British civil engineer. Under the influence of James Menzies, Southland Province seceded from Otago in 1861 following the escalation of political tensions, however, rising debt forced Southland to rejoin Otago in 1870 and the provincial system, and with it the province of Otago, was abolished entirely in 1876. This debt was caused by a population decline stemming from poor returns from pastoral farming, in 1874, Invercargills population was less than 2,500 which reflected the drift north to large centres. In the 1880s, the development of an industry based on butter. In December 1905, Invercargill voted in local prohibition of alcohol sales and this lasted for 40 years until voted out by returning servicemen in the Second World War. When prohibition ended, a committee of citizens persuaded the Government to give the monopoly on sales in Invercargill to the specially formed Invercargill Licensing Trust. Based on a scheme in Carlisle, England, it returns profits to city amenities, even today, alcohol is not sold in supermarkets. In recent years, publicity has been brought to the city by the election of Tim Shadbolt
31.
Liberal Government of New Zealand
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The Liberal Government of New Zealand was the first responsible government in New Zealand politics organised along party lines. The government formed following the founding of the Liberal Party and took office on the 24 January 1891, to date, it is the longest serving government in New Zealands history. The government was also notable for enacting significant social and economic changes, such as the Old Age Pensions Act. One historian described the policies of the government as a revolution in the relationship between the government and the people, passed the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1894. This established a conciliation and compulsory arbitration system with the aim of providing the unions with the means of protecting their members, the act encouraged the growth of unions by limiting labour representation at the arbitration court to registered unions. Legislation was introduced to protect groups, such as the gumdiggers, miners, shop assistants, shearers. A department of labour was established to ensure improvements in working conditions took place to inspect shearing sheds, shops, factories. The new department helped to reduce unemployment by transporting labourers to jobs, Factory hours and working conditions were strictly regulated and children were removed from factories. The 1891 Factory Act gave legal definition to a factory, by 1896,4,600 factories with 31,000 workers and a further 7,000 shop assistants were registered with the Department of Labour. The 1892 Shop-Assistants Act dealt with sanitation and inspection and it also introduced a compulsory half-holiday for retail workers. The Wages Protection Bill was designed to protect workers’ wage packets from arbitrary deductions by employers, the Shipping and Seamen’s Act specified minimum crews and safety conditions for shipping. The public service was expanded between 1891 and 1911. By 1912, more than 40,000 people were on the state’s payroll, the Coal Mines Act established state mines to compete directly with privately owned mines. The Fires Brigades Act increased subsidies for volunteer fire brigades, Public works schemes such as road construction were encouraged and helped to reduce unemployment. A land and income tax bill was passed which introduced direct taxation as well as a land tax. The bill also repealed the former inequitable property tax, a state fire insurance office and state coal mines with their own sale depots were established. The Truck Act forced all employers to pay in cash instead of goods, the Coal Mines Act authorised the government to purchase two West Coast mines. The Contractors and Workmen’s Liens Bill protected the rights of workers and contractors for payment for work done, forty-eight hours a week was established by law as the normal working time for men in factories
32.
British Empire
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The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It originated with the possessions and trading posts established by England between the late 16th and early 18th centuries. At its height, it was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. By 1913, the British Empire held sway over 412 million people, 23% of the population at the time. As a result, its political, legal, linguistic and cultural legacy is widespread, during the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal and Spain pioneered European exploration of the globe, and in the process established large overseas empires. Envious of the great wealth these empires generated, England, France, the independence of the Thirteen Colonies in North America in 1783 after the American War of Independence caused Britain to lose some of its oldest and most populous colonies. British attention soon turned towards Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, after the defeat of France in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, Britain emerged as the principal naval and imperial power of the 19th century. In the early 19th century, the Industrial Revolution began to transform Britain, the British Empire expanded to include India, large parts of Africa and many other territories throughout the world. In Britain, political attitudes favoured free trade and laissez-faire policies, during the 19th Century, Britains population increased at a dramatic rate, accompanied by rapid urbanisation, which caused significant social and economic stresses. To seek new markets and sources of raw materials, the Conservative Party under Benjamin Disraeli launched a period of imperialist expansion in Egypt, South Africa, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand became self-governing dominions. By the start of the 20th century, Germany and the United States had begun to challenge Britains economic lead, subsequent military and economic tensions between Britain and Germany were major causes of the First World War, during which Britain relied heavily upon its empire. The conflict placed enormous strain on the military, financial and manpower resources of Britain, although the British Empire achieved its largest territorial extent immediately after World War I, Britain was no longer the worlds pre-eminent industrial or military power. In the Second World War, Britains colonies in Southeast Asia were occupied by Imperial Japan, despite the final victory of Britain and its allies, the damage to British prestige helped to accelerate the decline of the empire. India, Britains most valuable and populous possession, achieved independence as part of a larger movement in which Britain granted independence to most territories of the empire. The transfer of Hong Kong to China in 1997 marked for many the end of the British Empire, fourteen overseas territories remain under British sovereignty. After independence, many former British colonies joined the Commonwealth of Nations, the United Kingdom is now one of 16 Commonwealth nations, a grouping known informally as the Commonwealth realms, that share a monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The foundations of the British Empire were laid when England and Scotland were separate kingdoms. In 1496, King Henry VII of England, following the successes of Spain and Portugal in overseas exploration, Cabot led another voyage to the Americas the following year but nothing was ever heard of his ships again
33.
Dominion of New Zealand
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The Dominion of New Zealand was the historical successor to the Colony of New Zealand. It was a monarchy with a high level of self-government within the British Empire. New Zealand became a separate British Crown colony in 1841 and received responsible government with the Constitution Act in 1852. New Zealand chose not to part in Australian Federation and became the Dominion of New Zealand on 26 September 1907, Dominion Day. Dominion status was a mark of the political independence that had evolved over half a century through responsible government. Just under one million lived in New Zealand in 1907 and cities such as Auckland. The Dominion of New Zealand allowed the British government to shape its foreign policy, the 1923 and 1926 Imperial Conferences decided that New Zealand should be allowed to negotiate their own political treaties and the first commercial treaty was ratified in 1928 with Japan. When the Second World War broke out in 1939 the New Zealand government made its own decision to enter the war, in the post-war period, the term ‘Dominion’ has fallen into disuse. Full independence was granted with the Statute of Westminster in 1931, after much debate over lexicon, the term ‘Dominion’ was decided upon. Dominion status was anticipated to be a house between colonial status and full independence. The adoption of the designation of ‘Dominion’ would, raise the status of New Zealand stated Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward, Ward also had regional imperial ambitions. He hoped the new designation would remind the world that New Zealand was not part of Australia and it would dignify New Zealand, a country he thought was the natural centre for the government of the South Pacific. A royal proclamation granting New Zealand the designation of ‘Dominion’ was issued on 9 September 1907, on 26 September the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, read the proclamation from the steps of Parliament, Edward R. & I. And We hereby give Our Commands to all Public Departments accordingly, given at Our Court at Buckingham Palace, this ninth day of September, in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seven, and in the seventh year of Our Reign. God save the King Letters patent were issued to confirm New Zealands change in status, declaring that, there shall be a Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Dominion of New Zealand. Control over defence, constitutional amendments, and foreign affairs remained with the British government until the Statute of Westminster was adopted in 1947, Ward had thought that New Zealanders would be much gratified with the new title. However, Dominion status was received with limited enthusiasm and indifference from the general public, the shift from colony to Dominion was viewed as a change of name only. The general public were unable to discern any practical difference, Dominion status was symbolic and recognised the countrys shift to self-governance, but this change had been accomplished with the first responsible government in the 1850s
34.
Royal Navy
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The Royal Navy is the United Kingdoms naval warfare force. Although warships were used by the English kings from the medieval period. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the early 16th century, from the middle decades of the 17th century and through the 18th century, the Royal Navy vied with the Dutch Navy and later with the French Navy for maritime supremacy. From the mid 18th century it was the worlds most powerful navy until surpassed by the United States Navy during the Second World War. The Royal Navy played a key part in establishing the British Empire as the world power during the 19th. Due to this historical prominence, it is common, even among non-Britons, following World War I, the Royal Navy was significantly reduced in size, although at the onset of the Second World War it was still the worlds largest. By the end of the war, however, the United States Navy had emerged as the worlds largest, during the Cold War, the Royal Navy transformed into a primarily anti-submarine force, hunting for Soviet submarines, mostly active in the GIUK gap. The Royal Navy is part of Her Majestys Naval Service, which includes the Royal Marines. The professional head of the Naval Service is the First Sea Lord, the Defence Council delegates management of the Naval Service to the Admiralty Board, chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence. The strength of the fleet of the Kingdom of England was an important element in the power in the 10th century. English naval power declined as a result of the Norman conquest. Medieval fleets, in England as elsewhere, were almost entirely composed of merchant ships enlisted into service in time of war. Englands naval organisation was haphazard and the mobilisation of fleets when war broke out was slow, early in the war French plans for an invasion of England failed when Edward III of England destroyed the French fleet in the Battle of Sluys in 1340. Major fighting was confined to French soil and Englands naval capabilities sufficed to transport armies and supplies safely to their continental destinations. Such raids halted finally only with the occupation of northern France by Henry V. Henry VII deserves a large share of credit in the establishment of a standing navy and he embarked on a program of building ships larger than heretofore. He also invested in dockyards, and commissioned the oldest surviving dry dock in 1495 at Portsmouth, a standing Navy Royal, with its own secretariat, dockyards and a permanent core of purpose-built warships, emerged during the reign of Henry VIII. Under Elizabeth I England became involved in a war with Spain, the new regimes introduction of Navigation Acts, providing that all merchant shipping to and from England or her colonies should be carried out by English ships, led to war with the Dutch Republic. In the early stages of this First Anglo-Dutch War, the superiority of the large, heavily armed English ships was offset by superior Dutch tactical organisation and the fighting was inconclusive
35.
New Zealand Reform Party
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The Reform Party, formally the New Zealand Political Reform League, was New Zealands second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party. It was in government between 1912 and 1928, and later formed a coalition with the United Party, and then merged with United to form the modern National Party. The Liberal Party, founded by John Ballance and fortified by Richard Seddon, was dominant in New Zealand politics at the beginning of the 20th century. The conservative opposition, consisting only of independents, was disorganised and demoralised, gradually, however, the Liberals began to falter — the first blow came with the death of Richard Seddon, their popular leader, but other factors contributed to their decline. Importantly for conservatives, the Liberals were slowly losing support from small farmers, having achieved the land reforms, farmers had little reason to continue their support the Liberals, and drifted towards the socially conservative opposition. The Liberals were split between the farmers and the workers, attempting to both and therefore satisfying neither. The attempts of the Liberals to win back the vote were decried by conservatives as socialistic. The conservative opposition, which pledged its opposition to the alleged socialist tendencies of the Liberals, was strengthened, the foundation of the Reform Party was closely associated with this return of the opposition to political significance, and with growing agitation against the Liberal Partys alleged socialism. Also closely linked to the group were the Political Reform League, Aucklands National Association, the opposition began referring to itself as the Reform Party in 1909, and adopted a common platform for contesting elections. Among the partys important policy planks were farmers freehold and the reform of the public service, despite campaigning heavily against the governments socialism, it did not propose to undo the Liberal Partys labour and welfare reforms. In the 1911 elections, the Reform Party managed to win thirty-seven seats compared with thirty-three for the Liberals, supporters of the Liberals denied that Reform had won a mandate to rule, however, pointing out that the country quota worked to inflate Reforms vote. Nevertheless, it did not take long for the Liberal government, now ruling only with the support of independents, william Massey became Prime Minister on 10 July 1912. In government, the Reform Party implemented many of its policies regarding freehold, many other Liberal-era policies were not changed, however, and Reform gained further support from disillusioned members of the Liberal Party. A dockworkers strike in 1913 was also broken, the strikes prompted considerable concern about socialism in certain sectors of society, boosting Reforms results in the 1914 elections. In the 1919 elections, Reform further strengthened its position, despite the emergence of a single united Labour Party, in the 1922 elections, however, the approach of depression cost the government considerably, and Reform was forced to build an unstable coalition of independents. After a period under interim leader Francis Bell, Reform chose Gordon Coates as its new leader, Coates, while not regarded as politically astute, was relatively popular with the public, and campaigned well. In the 1925 elections, Reform won a high number of seats — fifty-five, compared with twelve for Labour. This victory was not as pronounced in the statistics for the vote, however — many believed that Reform had profited from the three-party configuration
36.
New Zealand Labour Party
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The New Zealand Labour Party, or simply Labour, is a centre-left political party in New Zealand. With its historic rival, the New Zealand National Party, Labour has dominated New Zealand governments since the 1930s, Labour currently promotes a social-democratic platform. It is a participant of the international Progressive Alliance, the New Zealand Labour Party was formed in 1916 by various socialist parties and trade unions. It is thus the countrys oldest political party still in existence, there have been five Labour governments. The party was first in power from 1935 and 1949, when it established New Zealands welfare state and it governed most recently from 1999 to 2008 with Helen Clark as party leader and Prime Minister. Since the partys defeat in the 2008 general election, Labour has comprised the second-largest caucus represented in the New Zealand Parliament, on 18 November 2014 Andrew Little was confirmed outside of Parliament and in a press conference as the new Labour leader. Labours 1916 policy objectives called for the socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange, up to the 1980s Labour remained a party that believed in a strong role for governments in economic and social matters. However, it had transformed from a trade union-dominated, socialist-oriented movement to a moderate social-democratic party. The Labour Government of the 1980s deviated sharply from a social-democratic path, in a series of economic reforms dubbed Rogernomics, the Government removed a swathe of regulations and subsidies, privatised state assets and introduced corporate practices to state services. Equal access to all social, economic, cultural, political and legal spheres, co-operation as the main governing factor in economic relations, to ensure a just distribution of wealth. Universal rights to dignity, self-respect and the opportunity to work, the right to wealth and property, subject to the provisos of regarding people as always more important than property and the obligations of the state to ensure a just distribution of wealth. The Treaty of Waitangi as the document of New Zealand, and its honouring in the Party, government, society. The promotion of peace and social justice throughout the world by international co-operation, Equality in human rights regardless of race, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religious faith, political belief or disability. Its origins lie in the British working class movement, heavily influenced by Australian radicalism and it is the oldest surviving New Zealand political party. The New Zealand Labour Party was an amalgamation of a number of early groups, the process of unifying these diverse groups into a single party was difficult, with tensions between different factions running strong. At the turn of the century, the side of New Zealand working class politics was represented by the Socialist Party. The more moderate leftists were generally supporters of the Liberal Party and this established the basic dividing line in New Zealands left-wing politics – the Socialists tended to be revolutionary and militant, while the moderates focused instead on progressive reform. In 1910, the Independent Political Labour League was relaunched as a called the Labour Party
37.
World War I
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World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, or the War to End All Wars, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. More than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history and it was one of the deadliest conflicts in history, and paved the way for major political changes, including revolutions in many of the nations involved. The war drew in all the worlds great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances, the Allies versus the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary. These alliances were reorganised and expanded as more nations entered the war, Italy, Japan, the trigger for the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. This set off a crisis when Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia. Within weeks, the powers were at war and the conflict soon spread around the world. On 25 July Russia began mobilisation and on 28 July, the Austro-Hungarians declared war on Serbia, Germany presented an ultimatum to Russia to demobilise, and when this was refused, declared war on Russia on 1 August. Germany then invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg before moving towards France, after the German march on Paris was halted, what became known as the Western Front settled into a battle of attrition, with a trench line that changed little until 1917. On the Eastern Front, the Russian army was successful against the Austro-Hungarians, in November 1914, the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers, opening fronts in the Caucasus, Mesopotamia and the Sinai. In 1915, Italy joined the Allies and Bulgaria joined the Central Powers, Romania joined the Allies in 1916, after a stunning German offensive along the Western Front in the spring of 1918, the Allies rallied and drove back the Germans in a series of successful offensives. By the end of the war or soon after, the German Empire, Russian Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, national borders were redrawn, with several independent nations restored or created, and Germanys colonies were parceled out among the victors. During the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, the Big Four imposed their terms in a series of treaties, the League of Nations was formed with the aim of preventing any repetition of such a conflict. This effort failed, and economic depression, renewed nationalism, weakened successor states, and feelings of humiliation eventually contributed to World War II. From the time of its start until the approach of World War II, at the time, it was also sometimes called the war to end war or the war to end all wars due to its then-unparalleled scale and devastation. In Canada, Macleans magazine in October 1914 wrote, Some wars name themselves, during the interwar period, the war was most often called the World War and the Great War in English-speaking countries. Will become the first world war in the sense of the word. These began in 1815, with the Holy Alliance between Prussia, Russia, and Austria, when Germany was united in 1871, Prussia became part of the new German nation. Soon after, in October 1873, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck negotiated the League of the Three Emperors between the monarchs of Austria-Hungary, Russia and Germany
38.
Liberalism
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Liberalism is a political philosophy or worldview founded on ideas of liberty and equality. Liberalism first became a political movement during the Age of Enlightenment. Liberalism rejected the social and political norms of hereditary privilege, state religion, absolute monarchy. The 17th-century philosopher John Locke is often credited with founding liberalism as a philosophical tradition. Locke argued that man has a natural right to life, liberty and property. Liberals opposed traditional conservatism and sought to replace absolutism in government with representative democracy, prominent revolutionaries in the Glorious Revolution, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution used liberal philosophy to justify the armed overthrow of what they saw as tyrannical rule. Liberalism started to spread rapidly especially after the French Revolution, the 19th century saw liberal governments established in nations across Europe, South America, and North America. During the 20th century, liberal ideas spread even further as liberal democracies found themselves on the side in both world wars. In Europe and North America, the establishment of social liberalism became a key component in the expansion of the welfare state, today, liberal parties continue to wield power and influence throughout the world. Words such as liberal, liberty, libertarian, and libertine all trace their history to the Latin liber, which means free. One of the first recorded instances of the word occurs in 1375. The words early connection with the education of a medieval university soon gave way to a proliferation of different denotations and connotations. In 16th century England, liberal could have positive or negative attributes in referring to someones generosity or indiscretion, in Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare wrote of a liberal villaine who hath. confest his vile encounters. With the rise of the Enlightenment, the word acquired decisively more positive undertones, being defined as free from narrow prejudice in 1781, in 1815, the first use of the word liberalism appeared in English. In Spain, the Liberales, the first group to use the label in a political context. From 1820 to 1823, during the Trienio Liberal, King Ferdinand VII was compelled by the liberales to swear to uphold the Constitution, by the middle of the 19th century, liberal was used as a politicised term for parties and movements worldwide. Over time, the meaning of the word began to diverge in different parts of the world. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, In the United States, liberalism is associated with the policies of the New Deal programme of the Democratic administration of Pres
39.
Bluff, New Zealand
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Bluff, previously known as Campbelltown, is a town and seaport in the Southland region, on the southern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the southern-most town in New Zealand and, despite Slope Point, according to the 2006 census, the resident population was 1,850, a decrease of 85 since 2001. The Bluff area was one of the earliest areas of New Zealand where a European presence became established, the first ship known to have entered the harbour was the Perseverance in 1813, in search of flax trading possibilities, with the first European settlers arriving in 1823 or 1824. This is the foundation for the claim that Bluff is the oldest permanent European settlement in the country, however, the missionary settlement at Kerikeri was both earlier and larger. The town was officially called Campbelltown in 1856, became a borough in 1878, Bluff is 30 km by road from Invercargill, and the southern terminus of the Bluff Branch, the continuation from Invercargill of the Main South Line. This was one of New Zealands earliest railways, opening on 5 February 1867, Bluff is at the end of a peninsula that forms the western side of Bluff Harbour and Awarua Bay, with the port located in the relatively narrow entrance channel. It is on State Highway 1, which terminates one kilometre to the south of the town at Stirling Point, at Stirling Point there is a signpost showing the distance and direction to various major cities and locations around the world, including the Equator and the South Pole. Bluff is dominated by Bluff Hill / Motupohue, which provides shelter from the prevailing westerly winds. There is a walk along the shore through native bush up to this point. The town is named for this bluff, which was known to early whalers as Old Mans Bluff or Old Man Bluff, east across the entry channel from Bluff is Tiwai Point, home to New Zealands only aluminium smelter and its wharf. Electricity is supplied by the Manapouri Power Station in Fiordland National Park, South Port is the port operating company of the Port of Bluff, and is owned to 66. 5% by the Southland Regional Council. A small port in comparison with New Zealand giants like Ports of Auckland or Port of Tauranga, it moves around 2.2 million tonnes of each year. It is hoped that the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter and fossil fuel exploration activity in the Great South Basin will help to ensure the relevance of the port. A recent weekly container ship service also lifted the volumes, Bluff Harbour is also the terminus for the twice-daily catamaran ferry to Stewart Island / Rakiura,60 kilometres south across Foveaux Strait. It is the gateway for NZ ships heading down to the Antarctic. The harbour is home to the Foveaux Strait oyster fleet. Bluff oysters are renowned for their succulence and flavour, and are considered a delicacy nationwide, the oyster quota was severely reduced during the 1990s due to the effects of the toxic protozoan parasite Bonamia exitiosa upon the oyster beds. Among the attractions of the town was the Paua House, created by Fred and this was an ordinary bungalow transformed by having the outside walls totally covered in paua shells
40.
Southland, New Zealand
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Southland is New Zealands southernmost region. It consists mainly of the portion of the South Island. It includes Southland District, Gore District and the city of Invercargill, the region covers over 3.1 million hectares and spans over 3,400 km of coast. Southland was a scene of early extended contact between Europeans and Maori, in this case sealers, whalers and missionaries – Wohlers at Ruapuke, in 1853, Walter Mantell purchased Murihiku from local Maori iwi, claiming the land for European settlement. Over successive decades, present-day Southland and Otago were settled by large numbers of Scottish settlers, immigration to New Zealand had been precipitated by an economic depression in Scotland and a schism between the Church of Scotland and the Free Church of Scotland. In 1852, James Menzies, leader of the Southland separatist movement, under the influence of Menzies, Southland Province seceded from Otago in 1861 following the escalation of political tensions. However, rising debt forced Southland to rejoin Otago in 1870, in the 1880s, the development of an export industry based on butter and cheese encouraged the growth of dairy farming in Southland. Consequently, the colonys first dairy factory was established at Edendale in 1882, much of this export went to the United Kingdom. The regions largest flood on 27 January 1984 led to a state of emergency being declared, evacuation of 4,000 people, Southlands two principal urban settlements are the city of Invercargill and the town of Gore. Southland covers an area of 28,681 square kilometres, in the June 2016 it had a population of 98,000, making it one of New Zealands most sparsely populated areas. The sizable western part Fiordland is almost empty of permanent human inhabitation, Southland is divided into two parliamentary electorates. The large rural electorate of Clutha-Southland, held by Todd Barclay, the seat of Invercargill is held by Sarah Dowie. Both are members of the governing National Party, Regional responsibilities are handled by the Southland Regional Council. Three Territorial Authorities fall entirely within Southland, the Invercargill City Council governs Invercargill itself, together with some adjoining rural areas. Much of the area of Southland, including all of Stewart Island/Rakiura, falls within the Southland District. The Gore District Council administers the town of the same name, in 2001, three authorities created the joint initiative agency Venture Southland which is the agency responsible for the region’s economic and community development initiatives and tourism promotion. The region is home to two parks, Fiordland National Park and Rakiura National Park. The former which covers 7,860 square kilometres, making it New Zealands largest national park, Southland also includes Stewart Island, 85% of which is covered by Rakiura National Park
41.
New Zealand Post
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New Zealand Post is a state-owned enterprise responsible for providing postal service in New Zealand. New Zealand Post Office, a government agency, provided service in New Zealand until 1987. By the 1980s, however, economic difficulties made the government reconsider how it delivered postal services, for example, in 1987-1988 alone, the post lost NZ$50 million. In its final report, the team recommend transforming the postal service into three state-owned enterprises, the Post’s corporatization was then completed with the 1987 passage of the Postal Services Act. Today, only New Zealand Post remains a state-owned enterprise, as PostBank and Telecom were privatized in 1989 and 1990, in its first year of operation, New Zealand Post turned the losses of previous years into a NZ$72 million profit. A year after the 1987 Post Office Act, the Lange Government declared its plan to privatize the post. To prepare for privatization, it decided to reduce the posts monopoly. When it was corporatized in 1987, the New Zealand Post had monopoly for mail up to 500 grams and this was first reduced to $1.35, then $1, and finally 80 cents. The government also let the post downsize by closing a third of its locations, in 1991-1992, another review came out in support of the governments privatization plan. However, by the end of 1993 the government abandoned its plan because of public opposition, New Zealand Post began its life with 1,244 post offices, later rebranded as PostShops. Of these 906 full post offices and 338 postal agencies,600 post offices or bank branches were downsized or closed after government subsidies expired in February 1988, as of March 1998, there are 297 PostShops, and 705 Post Centres. However, there are now more outlets than before corporatisation, with 2,945 other retailers of postage stamps. There was a reduction in the price of postage, with a nominal drop of the postage rate from 45 cents to 40 cents in 1996. Since then the cost has risen to 50 cents in 2007, to 60 cents in 2010, on 1 July 2016 postage for standard letters will increase by 20 cents to $1.00 and Fastpost by 40 cents to $1.80. The Lange governments Postal Services Act 1987 reduced the monopoly of New Zealand Post to a limit of $1.75 and 500 grams and it was gradually reduced to 80 cents in December 1991 until the 1998 legislation took effect. The Postal Services Act 1998, passed by a National-New Zealand First coalition government, the new law provides for any person to become a registered postal operator by applying to the Ministry of Economic Development. Registration as an operator is compulsory for letters with postage less than 80 cents. Despite the Act, government regulation of the company still requires it to maintain certain minimum service levels, New Zealand Posts exclusive right to be the sole operator under the Act for the purposes of the Universal Postal Union expired on 1 April 2003
42.
New Zealand Parliament
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The New Zealand Parliament is the legislative branch of New Zealand, consisting of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives. Before 1951, there was a chamber, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The Parliament was established in 1854 and is one of the oldest continuously functioning parliaments in the world, the House of Representatives is a democratically elected body whose members are known as Members of Parliament. It usually consists of 120 MPs, though sometimes due to overhang seats. 70 MPs are elected directly in electorate seats and the remainder are filled by list MPs based on each partys share of the party vote, Māori were represented in Parliament from 1867, and in 1893 women gained the vote. New Zealand does not allow sentenced prisoners to vote, the Parliament is closely linked to the executive branch. The House of Representatives has met in the Parliament Buildings located in Wellington, Parliament funds the broadcast of its proceedings through Parliament TV, AM Network and Parliament Today. It was based on the Westminster model and had a house, called the House of Representatives. The members of the House of Representatives were elected under the first-past-the-post voting system, originally Councillors were appointed for life, but later their terms were fixed at seven years. In 1951, the Council was abolished altogether, making the New Zealand legislature unicameral, under the Constitution Act, legislative power was also conferred on New Zealands provinces, each of which had its own elected Legislative Council. These provincial legislatures were able to legislate for their provinces on most subjects, over a twenty-year period, political power was progressively centralised, and the provinces were abolished altogether in 1876. Four Māori electorates were created in 1867 during the term of the 4th Parliament, originally the New Zealand Parliament remained subordinate to the British Parliament, the supreme legislative authority for the entire British Empire. One historical speciality of the New Zealand Parliament was the country quota, from 1889 on, districts were weighted according to their urban/rural split. The country quota was in effect until it was abolished in 1945 by a mostly urban-elected Labour government, the New Zealand Parliament is sovereign with no institution able to over-ride its decisions. The ability of Parliament to act is, legally, unimpeded, for example, the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 is a normal piece of legislation, it is not superior law as codified constitutions are in some other countries. The only thing Parliament is limited in its power are on some entrenched issues relating to elections and these issues require either 75% of all MPs to support the bill or a referendum on the issue. The Queen of New Zealand is one of the components of Parliament—formally called the Queen-in-Parliament and this results from the role of the monarch to sign into law the bills that have been passed by the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives was established as a house and has been the Parliaments sole chamber since 1951
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New Zealand general election, 1887
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The New Zealand general election of 1887 was held on 26 September to elect 95 MPs to the tenth session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 7 September, in 5 seats there was only one candidate. The Representation Act 1887 had major implication for the procedure of revising electoral boundaries, the revision task was transferred from committees formed by MPs to a permanent Representation Commission. It was also stipulated that electoral boundaries were to be reviewed after each census, ten new electorates were created, Auckland Central, Woodville, Wellington South and Suburbs, Masterton, Wellington East, Waimea-Picton, Linwood, Rangitata, Waihemo, and Ponsonby. One former electorate, Wairarapa, was recreated,1887 was the year the Independent Representation Commission was established to redraw electorate boundaries after each five-yearly population census. The country quota was reduced to 18%, a £10 candidates deposit was introduced. The Stout-Vogel government had been soundly beaten, only 34 returned members supported the government, whilst 52 opposition MPs were elected as well as nine independents. This led to confusion in Wellington in September 1887 when the members gathered to form a government. John Bryce, William Rolleston and Robert Stout had all lost their seats, sir John Hall said he was too old. Sir Julius Vogels policies had been rejected by the voters, so there was no alternative to Harry Atkinson, and after two weeks of negotiations he announced a ministry on 11 October. Only two ministers had served him before. The Scarecrow Ministry was not expected to last, but did, the years 1887 and 1888 were the worst of the Long Depression, and Atkinson cut salaries, raised loans and raised customs duties. He was not popular with the wealthy, but they feared the Opposition leaders Grey, by 1890 Atkinson was too ill to make speeches in the House. The following table shows the results of the 1887 general election, Bassett, Judith
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10th New Zealand Parliament
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The 10th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Elections for this term were held in 4 Māori electorates and 91 European electorates on 7 and 26 September 1887, a total of 95 MPs were elected. Parliament was prorogued in October 1890, during the term of this Parliament, two Ministries were in power. The 10th Parliament opened on 6 October 1887, following the 1887 general election and it sat for four sessions, and was prorogued on 3 October 1890. The Representation Act 1887 had major implication for the procedure of revising electoral boundaries, the revision task was transferred from committees formed by MPs to a permanent Representation Commission. It was also stipulated that electoral boundaries were to be reviewed after each census, ten new electorates were created, Auckland Central, Woodville, Wellington South and Suburbs, Masterton, Wellington East, Waimea-Picton, Linwood, Rangitata, Waihemo, and Ponsonby. One former electorate, Wairarapa, was recreated, political parties had not been established yet, this only happened after the 1890 election. Anyone attempting to form an administration thus had to win support directly from individual MPs and this made first forming, and then retaining a government difficult and challenging. The second Stout-Vogel Ministry had been in power since 3 September 1884 until 8 October 1887, the fourth Atkinson Ministry, known as the Scarecrow Ministry, lasted for the remainder of the term until 24 January 1891. 95 seats were created across the electorates, the Cyclopedia of New Zealand, Auckland Provincial District. The Cyclopedia of New Zealand, Otago & Southland Provincial Districts, present And Past Members Of Parliament. The Cyclopedia of New Zealand, Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts, former Members Of The House Of Representatives. The Cyclopedia of New Zealand, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay & Wellington Provincial Districts, the Penguin History of New Zealand
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