William Steward (New Zealand politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir William Jukes Steward (20 January 1841 – 30 October 1912) was a New Zealand
politician and the first Liberal
Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives
. He represented South Canterbury electorates in Parliament
for a total of 34 years, before being appointed to the Legislative Council
. He served briefly on the Otago Provincial Council
and was Mayor of Oamaru for three years.
, in England
in 1841. He was educated at King Edward VI. Grammar School
in Ludlow
and Dr Benham’s Commercial School in Gloucester
. He emigrated to New Zealand apparently on the Mersey in 1862, but his name is not included in the passenger list for the 25 Sep 1862 arrival.
in Dunedin
. She was the third daughter of Caleb Whitefoord of Burford
in Shropshire near Gloucester. They had one son and three daughters.
in Christchurch
. From 1867, he was editor of the Oamaru Times in Oamaru
. He was later proprietor of the North Otago Times, the Ashburton Mail and Guardian and, after moving to Waimate
, the Waimate Times.
was a single-member electorate. At the nomination meeting, Steward received a slight majority during the show of hands, and Macassey demanded a poll. The poll was held on Friday, 3 February 1871. Steward and Macassey received 188 and 137 votes, respectively. Steward was thus returned to Parliament.
The next election was held in early January 1876. Waitaki had become a two-member electorate, and four candidates put their names forward. Steward and Joseph O'Meagher contested the election as abolitionists (i.e. they were in favour of abolishing the provincial government
), while Thomas W. Bislop
and Samuel E. Shrimski
were provincialists (i.e. they favoured the retention of provincial government). The provincialists won the election by quite some margin, and Steward lost his seat in Parliament.
Steward was again elected in 1881
to represent the single-member Waimate electorate
. The Waitaki electorate had been abolished and the Waimate electorate covered the area of South Canterbury where Steward resided. Four candidates had contested the election, and Steward was returned with a comfortable margin. He held the electorate until it was abolished in 1893.
In 1893
he was re-elected to a reconstituted Waitaki
, which he held until 1911, when he was appointed to the Legislative Council
.
Steward was elected Speaker on 23 January 1891 when the First Liberal Government
came to power. The 1890 general election
was held on 5 December 1890. Harry Atkinson
was the Premier
at the time. Traditionally, the incumbent speaker would keep his position, unless the election result was not in support of the incoming government. The 1890 election did not have a clear result and the incumbent speaker, Maurice O'Rorke
, lost his seat in Parliament. Alfred Saunders
, an independent MP, proposed William Rolleston
as speaker, as he had been a long-standing MP since 1868. But Richard Seddon
proposed that Steward be chosen instead, which came as a surprise, as the latter was relatively undistinguished. The house voted on the issue and Steward was chosen by 36 to 29 votes. It was the first time that the role of speaker had been put to the vote by the New Zealand Parliament. The election sealed the end of the Atkinson government, which resigned the following day. The forming of the Liberal Party marked the beginning of party politics in New Zealand.
Steward held the position of speaker until 8 November 1893. He was knighted in 1902.
from 1875 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.
year of 1879, Steward did not stand for re-election. Steward was formally thanked at the last council meeting for the able manner in which he had led the council, and the courteous was in which he had interacted with the councillors. During Steward's term, the most significant achievement was the installation of the Oamaru water supply, which resulted in a fall of the death rate from 10.4 per 1000 population to 8.9 per 1000.
Steward was succeeded by Samuel Gibbs. Gibbs had previously been mayor from 1867 to 1870 and was elected unopposed.
on 30 October 1912. The body was taken by ferry steamer to Lyttelton
, and by train to Waimate. The funeral took place in Waimate.
A plaque in the St Augustine Church in Waimate is dedicated to Steward. The Waimate District Council's district plan has a formal protection for a tree that was planted by Steward on 26 June 1911.
It is located beside the memorial statue for Dr Margaret Barnett Cruickshank
MD.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
politician and the first Liberal
New Zealand Liberal Party
The New Zealand Liberal Party is generally regarded as having been the first real political party in New Zealand. It governed from 1891 until 1912. Out of office, the Liberals gradually found themselves pressed between the conservative Reform Party and the growing Labour Party...
Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives
Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives
In New Zealand the Speaker of the House of Representatives is the individual who chairs the country's legislative body, the New Zealand House of Representatives...
. He represented South Canterbury electorates in Parliament
Parliament of New Zealand
The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...
for a total of 34 years, before being appointed to the Legislative Council
New Zealand Legislative Council
The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed.-Role:...
. He served briefly on the Otago Provincial Council
Otago Province
The Otago Province was a province of New Zealand until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-Area:The capital of the province was Dunedin...
and was Mayor of Oamaru for three years.
Early life
Steward was born in Reading, BerkshireReading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1841. He was educated at King Edward VI. Grammar School
Ludlow College
Ludlow College is a sixth form college situated in the heart of Ludlow, Shropshire, England. Its history traces back to 1200, when it was known as Ludlow Grammar School. This makes Ludlow College one of the oldest educational institutions in England....
in Ludlow
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
and Dr Benham’s Commercial School in Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
. He emigrated to New Zealand apparently on the Mersey in 1862, but his name is not included in the passenger list for the 25 Sep 1862 arrival.
Family
Steward married Hannah Whitefoord on 4 December 1873 at St. Paul's ChurchSt. Paul's Cathedral, Dunedin
St Paul's Cathedral is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Dunedin, in New Zealand and the seat of the Bishop of Dunedin.-Location:The Cathedral Church of St Paul occupies a site in the heart of The Octagon near the Dunedin Town Hall and hence Dunedin...
in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
. She was the third daughter of Caleb Whitefoord of Burford
Burford, Shropshire
Burford is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England.- Location :The parish is situated to the north of the River Teme, on the other side of the Teme is the Worcestershire town of Tenbury Wells. To the west, the A456 road bridges the Ledwyche Brook, leading to the Herefordshire village of...
in Shropshire near Gloucester. They had one son and three daughters.
Professional career
In 1863, he was working as a draperDrapery
Drapery is a general word referring to cloths or textiles . It may refer to cloth used for decorative purposes – such as around windows – or to the trade of retailing cloth, originally mostly for clothing, formerly conducted by drapers.In art history, drapery refers to any cloth or...
in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
. From 1867, he was editor of the Oamaru Times in Oamaru
Oamaru
Oamaru , the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres south of Timaru and 120 kilometres north of Dunedin, on the Pacific coast, and State Highway 1 and the railway Main South Line connects it to both...
. He was later proprietor of the North Otago Times, the Ashburton Mail and Guardian and, after moving to Waimate
Waimate
WaimateUrban AreaPopulation:2,835 Extent:Territorial AuthorityName:Waimate District CouncilPopulation:7,206 Land area:3,582.19 km² Mayor:John ColesWebsite:...
, the Waimate Times.
Member of Parliament
Steward and Macassey contested the 1871 general election in Waitaki. At the time, the WaitakiWaitaki (New Zealand electorate)
Waitaki is an electorate for the New Zealand House of Representatives that crosses the boundary of North Otago and South Canterbury towns on the East Coast of the South Island. The electorate was first established for the that determined the 5th New Zealand Parliament...
was a single-member electorate. At the nomination meeting, Steward received a slight majority during the show of hands, and Macassey demanded a poll. The poll was held on Friday, 3 February 1871. Steward and Macassey received 188 and 137 votes, respectively. Steward was thus returned to Parliament.
The next election was held in early January 1876. Waitaki had become a two-member electorate, and four candidates put their names forward. Steward and Joseph O'Meagher contested the election as abolitionists (i.e. they were in favour of abolishing the provincial government
Provinces of New Zealand
The Provinces of New Zealand existed from 1841 until 1876 as a form of sub-national government. They were replaced by counties, which were themselves replaced by districts.Following abolition, the provinces became known as provincial districts...
), while Thomas W. Bislop
Thomas William Hislop
Thomas William Hislop was the Mayor of Wellington from 1905 to 1908, and had represented two South Island electorates in the New Zealand Parliament.-Early life:...
and Samuel E. Shrimski
Samuel Edward Shrimski
Samuel Edward Shrimski was a 19th century Member of Parliament in Otago, New Zealand.-Early life:He was born in Poznań, Prussia, went to London in 1847, emigrated to Melbourne in 1859 and came to New Zealand in 1861.-Political career:...
were provincialists (i.e. they favoured the retention of provincial government). The provincialists won the election by quite some margin, and Steward lost his seat in Parliament.
Steward was again elected in 1881
New Zealand general election, 1881
The New Zealand general election of 1881 was held 9 December to elect a total of 95 MPs to the 8th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 8 December...
to represent the single-member Waimate electorate
Waimate (New Zealand electorate)
Waimate was a parliamentary electorate in the Canterbury region of New Zealand from 1881 to 1893 and from 1946 to 1957.The electorate was centred on the town of Waimate.-Members of Parliament:Key -References:...
. The Waitaki electorate had been abolished and the Waimate electorate covered the area of South Canterbury where Steward resided. Four candidates had contested the election, and Steward was returned with a comfortable margin. He held the electorate until it was abolished in 1893.
In 1893
New Zealand general election, 1893
The New Zealand general election of 1893 was held on Tuesday, 28 November in the general electorates, and on Wednesday, 20 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 12th session of the New Zealand Parliament...
he was re-elected to a reconstituted Waitaki
Waitaki (New Zealand electorate)
Waitaki is an electorate for the New Zealand House of Representatives that crosses the boundary of North Otago and South Canterbury towns on the East Coast of the South Island. The electorate was first established for the that determined the 5th New Zealand Parliament...
, which he held until 1911, when he was appointed to the Legislative Council
New Zealand Legislative Council
The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed.-Role:...
.
Steward was elected Speaker on 23 January 1891 when the First Liberal Government
First Liberal Government of New Zealand
The First 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, and governed New Zealand for over 21 years until 10 July...
came to power. The 1890 general election
New Zealand general election, 1890
The New Zealand general election of 1890 was one of New Zealand's most significant. It marked the beginning of party politics in New Zealand with the formation of the First Liberal government, which was to enact major welfare, labour and electoral reforms, including giving the vote to women.It was...
was held on 5 December 1890. Harry Atkinson
Harry Atkinson
Henry Albert "Harry" Atkinson served as the tenth Premier of New Zealand on four separate occasions in the late 19th century, and was Colonial Treasurer for a total of ten years...
was the Premier
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
at the time. Traditionally, the incumbent speaker would keep his position, unless the election result was not in support of the incoming government. The 1890 election did not have a clear result and the incumbent speaker, Maurice O'Rorke
Maurice O'Rorke
Sir George Maurice O’Rorke was a New Zealand politician, representing the Auckland seat of Onehunga, and later Manukau, and was Speaker of the House of Representatives. He was a committed provincialist and was the eighth Superintendent of the Auckland Province...
, lost his seat in Parliament. Alfred Saunders
Alfred Saunders
Alfred Saunders was a 19th century New Zealand politician.He was elected onto the Nelson Provincial Council representing Waimea South in 1855 and remained a councillor until his election of Superintendent for the Nelson Province from 1865 to 1867. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Waimea...
, an independent MP, proposed William Rolleston
William Rolleston
William Rolleston was a New Zealand politician, public administrator, educationalist and Canterbury provincial superintendent.-Early life:...
as speaker, as he had been a long-standing MP since 1868. But Richard Seddon
Richard Seddon
Richard John Seddon , sometimes known as King Dick, is to date the longest serving Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is regarded by some, including historian Keith Sinclair, as one of New Zealand's greatest political leaders....
proposed that Steward be chosen instead, which came as a surprise, as the latter was relatively undistinguished. The house voted on the issue and Steward was chosen by 36 to 29 votes. It was the first time that the role of speaker had been put to the vote by the New Zealand Parliament. The election sealed the end of the Atkinson government, which resigned the following day. The forming of the Liberal Party marked the beginning of party politics in New Zealand.
Steward held the position of speaker until 8 November 1893. He was knighted in 1902.
Otago Provincial Council
Steward was a member of the Otago Provincial CouncilOtago Province
The Otago Province was a province of New Zealand until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-Area:The capital of the province was Dunedin...
from 1875 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.
Mayor of Oamaru
Steward was Mayor of Oamaru from 1876 to 1879. He succeeded George Sumpter, who was first elected in 1875. The 1876 mayoral election was contested against J. Falconer, and Steward had a majority of 35 votes. In 1877, Steward was returned unopposed. The 1878 election was contested by Steward and George Sumpter, and the former achieved a majority of 45 votes. In the depressionDepression (economics)
In economics, a depression is a sustained, long-term downturn in economic activity in one or more economies. It is a more severe downturn than a recession, which is seen by some economists as part of the modern business cycle....
year of 1879, Steward did not stand for re-election. Steward was formally thanked at the last council meeting for the able manner in which he had led the council, and the courteous was in which he had interacted with the councillors. During Steward's term, the most significant achievement was the installation of the Oamaru water supply, which resulted in a fall of the death rate from 10.4 per 1000 population to 8.9 per 1000.
Steward was succeeded by Samuel Gibbs. Gibbs had previously been mayor from 1867 to 1870 and was elected unopposed.
Death and commemoration
Steward died in Island Bay, WellingtonIsland Bay, Wellington
Island Bay is a suburb of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, situated 5 km south of the city centre.Island Bay lies on the bay which shares its name, one of numerous small bays west of Lyall Bay...
on 30 October 1912. The body was taken by ferry steamer to Lyttelton
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
, and by train to Waimate. The funeral took place in Waimate.
A plaque in the St Augustine Church in Waimate is dedicated to Steward. The Waimate District Council's district plan has a formal protection for a tree that was planted by Steward on 26 June 1911.
It is located beside the memorial statue for Dr Margaret Barnett Cruickshank
Margaret Cruickshank
Dr Margaret Barnett Cruickshank was the first registered female doctor in New Zealand.-Biography:Cruickshank attended the University of Otago Dunedin School of Medicine and was the second woman, following Emily Siedeberg, in New Zealand to complete medical school. During World War I she organised...
MD.