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Alfred Newman (politician)

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Alfred Newman
17th Mayor of Wellington
In office
1909–1910
Preceded byThomas William Hislop
Succeeded byThomas Wilford
Personal details
Born27 April 1849
Madras, India
Died3 April 1924
Wellington, New Zealand
Political partyReform
SpouseOctavia Featherston

Alfred Kingcome Newman (27 April 1849 – 3 April 1924) was the mayor of Wellington, New Zealand, in 1909–1910, and a Member of Parliament.

Early life

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1896 caricature of Dr Alfred Newman

Newman was born in Madras, India, in 1849. His father was commander of an East India Company ship. The family migrated to New Zealand in 1853 and farmed at Waipukurau. He received his primary education in the Hawke's Bay Region and Auckland, and travelled in 1863 to receive his secondary education in Bath, England.[1]

Newman became a doctor of medicine and returned to New Zealand in 1875.[1]

Political career

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New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1884 8th Thorndon Independent
1884–1887 9th Thorndon Independent
1887–1890 10th Thorndon Independent
1890–1893 11th Hutt Independent
1893–1896 12th Wellington Suburbs Independent
1911–1914 18th Wellington East Reform
1914–1919 19th Wellington East Reform
1919–1922 20th Wellington East Reform

Newman was a Wellington City Councillor from 1881 to 1885. He was Mayor of Wellington in 1909–1910.[1]

Newman contested the 1881 election in the Foxton electorate, where he came fifth of six candidates, beaten by James Wilson.[2]

The resignation of William Levin from the Thorndon electorate caused an 1884 by-election. At the nomination meeting, Thomas Dwan, Alfred Newman and Henry Bunny were proposed as candidates, with Dwan winning the show of hands.[3] At the 1884 election on 14 May Newman, Bunny and Dwan received 636, 379 and 121 votes, respectively making Newman re-elected unopposed.[4][5] At the 1887 election, Newman beat William McLean by 873 to 425 votes.[6]

The Thorndon electorate was abolished at the end of the parliamentary term in 1890.[7] Newman successfully contested the Hutt electorate in the 1890 election.[8] At the 1893 election, he successfully contested the Suburbs of Wellington electorate. He was defeated in 1896 when he stood for Otaki.[9] In the 1899 election, he came second in the Suburbs of Wellington electorate.[10]

He was MP for Wellington East, from 1911 to 1922, when he retired.[9] From 1909 he belonged to the Reform Party.[8]

He was a member of the Legislative Council from 1 June 1923 until his death,[11] and for many years was on the Wellington Education Board, the Wellington College Board of Governors and the Senate of the University of New Zealand.[1]

Personal life

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Newman was married to Octavia Featherston (1854–1912), daughter of Isaac Earl Featherston, a leading colonial politician. Newman was to have one son. The family prospered, owning estates at Wellington, Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa, and also ran small thoroughbred stud.[1]

He died on 3 April 1924.[11]

Personal views

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Newman did much to promote science but also held views on white supremacy which were common at the time.[1]

Legacy

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Newman Terrace in Wellington is named after him.[12]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Stenhouse, John. "Newman, Alfred Kingcome". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  2. ^ "Foxton". Thames Star. Vol. XII, no. 4043. 13 December 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  3. ^ "Thorndon Election". The Evening Post. Vol. XXVII, no. 106. 5 May 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  4. ^ "The Thorndon Election". Daily Telegraph. No. 3997. 14 May 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  5. ^ "The Thorndon Seat". Manawatu Standard. Vol. IV, no. 195. 15 July 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  6. ^ "The General Election, 1887". National Library. 1887. p. 3. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  7. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 273.
  8. ^ a b Wilson 1985, p. 223.
  9. ^ a b Scholefield 1950, p. 129.
  10. ^ "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 2. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  11. ^ a b Scholefield 1950, p. 82.
  12. ^ Irvine-Smith 1948, p. 109.

References

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  • Irvine-Smith, F. L. (1948). The Streets of My City. Wellington: A. H. & A. W. Reed.
  • No Mean City by Stuart Perry (1969, Wellington City Council) includes a paragraph and a portrait or photo for each mayor
  • Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
New Zealand Parliament
New constituency Member of Parliament for Wellington Suburbs
1893–1896 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Wellington East
1911–1922 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Wellington
1909–1910 		Succeeded by
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