Sir William Nosworthy KCMG (18 October 1867 – 26 September 1946) was a New Zealand politician. He briefly served as Minister of Finance and then Minister of External Affairs in the Reform Government.

Sir William Nosworthy
4th Minister of External Affairs
In office
24 May 1926 – 24 August 1928
Prime MinisterGordon Coates
Preceded byFrancis Bell
Succeeded byGordon Coates
23rd Minister of Finance
In office
14 May 1925 – 24 May 1926
Prime MinisterFrancis Bell
Gordon Coates
Preceded byWilliam Massey
Succeeded byWilliam Downie Stewart
8th Minister of Agriculture
In office
4 September 1919 – 21 January 1926
Prime MinisterWilliam Massey
Francis Bell
Gordon Coates
Preceded byWilliam MacDonald
Succeeded byOswald Hawken
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Ashburton
In office
2 December 1908 – 14 November 1928
Preceded byJohn McLachlan
Succeeded byelectorate abolished
Personal details
Born(1867-10-18)18 October 1867
Christchurch, New Zealand
Died26 September 1946(1946-09-26) (aged 78)
Ashburton, New Zealand
Political partyReform
Spouse
Lilian Kate Wright
(m. 1909)
RelationsEdward George Wright (father-in-law)

Biography

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Early life

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Nosworthy was born on 18 October 1867 at the Christchurch suburb of St Albans. He was educated at private schools including Christchurch Boys' High School. He was then a farmer at Amuri and Gisborne. In 1895 he returned to Canterbury and farmed with his brother at Waitohi Downs. In 1900 they purchased Whakara, part of the Anama station. In 1917 he purchased the Mesopotamia Station initially owned by the novelist Samuel Butler.[1]

He married Lilian Kate Wright, daughter of Edward George Wright. They had no children.[1]

Political career

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New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1908–1909 18th Ashburton Independent
1909–1911 Changed allegiance to: Reform
1911–1914 19th Ashburton Reform
1914–1919 20th Ashburton Reform
1919–1922 21st Ashburton Reform
1922–1925 22nd Ashburton Reform
1925–1928 23rd Ashburton Reform

Nosworthy stood in the Ashburton electorate in the 1908 election. The Second Ballot Act was in force and on election night, he was in third place behind David Jones. Nosworthy encouraged his supporters to vote for Jones in the second ballot. After a recount, the situation was reversed (Nosworthy was 30 votes ahead) and Jones advertised for his supporters to vote for Nosworthy, and indeed, Nosworthy was successful in the second ballot.[2][3] In 1912 he became the junior government whip.[4]

He was first appointed to Cabinet in 1919, being appointed Minister of Agriculture (1919–1925) and then Minister of Immigration (1920–1925) by Prime Minister William Massey.[5] When Massey died in 1925, Nosworthy gained the more important role of Minister of Finance in the interim government of Francis Bell.[6]

Nosworthy contested the leadership ballot to succeed Massey, but was defeated by Gordon Coates.[7] He continued to serve as Minister of Finance until the following year, when he was given the Minister of External Affairs portfolio instead (1926–1928). He held this position until 1928.[8][9] There was rumours that Coates wished to drop Nosworthy from cabinet in his post-1925 election reshuffle. Newspapers thought he along with several others would be dropped and the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, also disliked Nosworthy thinking him 'boring'. However as Coates had entered cabinet at the same time as Nosworthy and in recognition that he had stood for the leadership, Coates thought it would be too bad of a look to dump him as a minister.[10] As Minister of External Affairs he was in charge of Samoa where disaffection among locals with the Mau movement. He opposed the movement demand for self governance and determination, supporting the Administrator of Western Samoa, George Spafford Richardson, to deal with increasing civil unrest.[1]

Nosworthy retired from parliament at the 1928 election, serving through six terms of Parliament.[3]

He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1929 New Year Honours,[11] and was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935.[12]

Later life and death

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He died at his home on 26 September 1946 in Ashburton, aged 78. He was survived by his wife.[1]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d "Sir W. Nosworthy - Obituary". The Northern Advocate. 26 September 1946. p. 6.
  2. ^ "The Ashburton Seat". The Press. Vol. LXIV, no. 13278. 20 November 1908. p. 6. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  3. ^ a b Wilson 1985, p. 223.
  4. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 279.
  5. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 77.
  6. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 78.
  7. ^ Bassett 1995, p. 92.
  8. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 79.
  9. ^ New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, Vols 211-219 (1926-1928).
  10. ^ Bassett 1995, p. 104.
  11. ^ "No. 33472". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 1 March 1929. p. 1439.
  12. ^ "Official jubilee medals". The Evening Post. Vol. CXIX, no. 105. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 17 November 2013.

References

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  • Bassett, Michael (1995). Coates of Kaipara. Auckland: Auckland University Press. ISBN 1-86940-117-4.
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
Political offices
Preceded by Postmaster-General
and Minister of Telegraphs

1926–1928
Succeeded by
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Ashburton
1908–1928
In abeyance
Title next held by
Geoff Gerard