Eric Halstead
Eric Halstead | |
---|---|
20th Minister of Industries and Commerce | |
In office 23 March 1956 – 12 December 1957 | |
Prime Minister | Sidney Holland Keith Holyoake |
Preceded by | Dean Eyre |
Succeeded by | Phil Holloway |
5th Minister for Social Security | |
In office 26 November 1954 – 23 March 1956 | |
Prime Minister | Sidney Holland |
Preceded by | William Bodkin |
Succeeded by | Dean Eyre |
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Tamaki | |
In office 30 November 1949 – 30 November 1957 | |
Preceded by | Tom Skinner |
Succeeded by | Bob Tizard |
Personal details | |
Born | 26 May 1912 Mangaweka, New Zealand |
Died | 18 June 1991 (aged 79) Auckland, New Zealand |
Political party | National |
Spouse |
Millicent Joan Stewart
(m. 1940) |
Alma mater | Auckland University |
Eric Henry Halstead CBE ED (26 May 1912 – 18 June 1991) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party and later a diplomat.
Biography
[edit]Early life and career
[edit]Halstead was born in Auckland in 1912, and educated at Auckland Grammar School and Auckland University where he attained a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Commerce. He was president of the Auckland University Students' Association for one year.[1] In 1940, he married Millicent Joan Stewart; they had four children.[citation needed] While a student he had his first involvement in politics after being invited to hear National Party MP Gordon Coates speak in 1938.[2]
He served as a major in the NZEF during World War II between 1941 and 1945.[1]
After being demobilized he became a teacher and was head of the commerce and accountancy department at Seddon Technical College from 1945 to 1949.[1]
Political career
[edit]Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1949–1951 | 29th | Tamaki | National | ||
1951–1954 | 30th | Tamaki | National | ||
1954–1957 | 31st | Tamaki | National |
He represented the Tamaki electorate from 1949 to 1957, when he was defeated by Bob Tizard.[3] He was a liberal within the National Party and, alongside North Shore MP Dean Eyre, he supported the alternative drainage scheme in Auckland proposed by Dove-Myer Robinson.[2]
He was the minister assisting the Prime Minister in 1954, a role in which Halstead often found his time occupied by simply delivering messages between the Prime Minister Sidney Holland and the Deputy Prime Minister Keith Holyoake.[4] He held several cabinet posts during the last term of the First National Government including; Minister for Social Security from 1954 to 1956,Minister of Industries and Commerce and Minister for Customs from 1956 to 1957.[5] As a minister he worked out a welfare reciprocity deal with the United Kingdom and he established the Tourist Hotel Corporation.[2]
After his defeat in 1957 Halstead became a director of Air New Zealand.[1] Halstead remained an active member of the National Party well after his defeat, despite not wishing to re-enter parliament by standing in Tamaki again. He was a longtime member of the party's Dominion Council, deputy-chairman of National's Auckland division and vice-president of the party.[6] Ahead of the 1966 he accepted nomination for the National candidacy in the much safer seat of Remuera, but lost to Allan Highet.[7][8]
Diplomatic career
[edit]He later served as Ambassador to Thailand and Laos 1970–1973,[9][1] then Ambassador to Italy and Ambassador to Iraq concurrently from 1976–1980[10] and Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (while resident in Rome) 1977–1980.
Later life and death
[edit]In the 1980 New Year Honours, Halstead was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.[1][11]
After returning from World War II he developed an interest in war history.[2] In 1989, a book put together by Halstead, entitled Freyberg's Men, was refused permission to be published by the New Zealand Government because it bore too close a resemblance to copyright material originally published by the New Zealand Army Board and War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs.[12]
He died in Auckland in 1991.[13]
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Gustafson 1986, p. 317.
- ^ a b c d Gustafson, Barry (19 July 1985). "Interview with Eric Halstead". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ Wilson 1985, p. 202.
- ^ Gustafson 1986, pp. 69–70.
- ^ Lambert & Palenski: The New Zealand Almanac, 1982. ISBN 0-908570-55-4
- ^ Gustafson 1986, pp. 230, 317.
- ^ "14 Seeking Remuera". The Press. Vol. CV, no. 31029. 7 April 1966. p. 3.
- ^ "Candidate For Remuera". The Press. Vol. CV, no. 31048. 2 May 1966. p. 15.
- ^ New Zealand Heads of Overseas Missions – NZ Ministry of Fopreign Affairs and Trade
- ^ New Zealand Heads of Overseas Missions – NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- ^ "No. 48043". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 31 December 1979. p. 26.
- ^ Gavin, McLean (2007). Whare Raupo. NZ: Reed. p. 229.
- ^ "New Zealand Herald". 22 June 1991.
References
[edit]- Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
- Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
- 1912 births
- 1991 deaths
- People educated at Auckland Grammar School
- University of Auckland alumni
- New Zealand National Party MPs
- New Zealand military personnel of World War II
- Members of the Cabinet of New Zealand
- Politicians from Auckland
- Ambassadors of New Zealand to Thailand
- Ambassadors of New Zealand to Italy
- Ambassadors of New Zealand to Iraq
- Ambassadors of New Zealand to Saudi Arabia
- Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
- New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates
- Unsuccessful candidates in the 1957 New Zealand general election
- New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire