Sydney George Smith
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Sydney George Smith | |
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portrait of a man
Sydney George Smith
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Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Taranaki |
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In office 1918 – 1925 |
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Preceded by | Henry Okey |
Succeeded by | Charles Bellringer |
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for New Plymouth |
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In office 1928 – 1938 |
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Preceded by | In abeyance since 1896 |
Succeeded by | Frederick Frost |
Personal details | |
Born | New Plymouth, New Zealand |
19 January 1879
Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. New Plymouth, New Zealand |
Political party | Liberal Party United Party |
Spouse(s) | Rose Herbert (m. 1901, d. 1913) Kate Bint (m. 1915) |
Relations | Edward Metcalf Smith (father) |
Sydney George Smith (19 January 1879 – 21 May 1943), known to his friends as Sid, was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party and then the National Party, and a cabinet minister.
Early life
Smith was born in New Plymouth in 1879. His parents were the MHR Edward Metcalf Smith and Mary Ann Golding.[1] He enjoyed rugby during his youth, and later became an administrator for the sport for the Taranaki Region.[2]
On 19 November 1901, he married Elsie Rose Herbert (known as Rose) at St Mary's Church in New Plymouth. She was a daughter of G H Herbert of the Royal Engineers.[3] They had three children: Rosa Maud (b. 1902), Ethel Mary (b. 1905), and Edward George (b. 1906).[1] His wife died on 3 April 1913, aged 35.[1]
Smith remarried on 25 February 1915, to Catherine (Kate) Bint, again at St Mary's Church.[1] Kate Bint was born in July 1892 at Tarata in Taranaki, some 18 kilometres (11 mi) by road west of Inglewood.[4] He had a further three children from his second marriage: Raymond Sydney (1916–1944), Harry Allman (1918–1998), and Lorna Hazel (b. 1922).[1]
He worked in the New Zealand Railways for 20 years, and for 13 years held office in the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants.[5]
Political career
Parliament of New Zealand | ||||
Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
1918–1919 | 19th | Taranaki | Independent Labour | |
1919–1922 | 20th | Taranaki | Liberal-Labour | |
1922–1925 | 21st | Taranaki | Liberal | |
1928–1931 | 23rd | New Plymouth | United | |
1931–1935 | 24th | New Plymouth | United | |
1935–1936 | 25th | New Plymouth | United | |
1936–1938 | Changed allegiance to: | National |
Smith held various offices with trade unions. He was on the New Plymouth Borough Council. He had interests in education.[2]
Smith successfully contested the Taranaki electorate in a by-election in 1918 (following the death of Henry Okey) as an Independent Labour candidate. Smith sat together with the other Labour MPs in Parliament but always stressed his independence. Soon after entering the house MP Charles Wilkinson referred to Labour Party leader Alfred Hindmarsh as the "leader" of Smith. In reply Smith said "You leave the member for Taranaki alone, he will choose his own leader."[6]
He was confirmed at the 1919 election, and in 1922 election successfully stood as a Liberal-Labour candidate.[5][7] In 1925 he stood unsuccessfully for New Plymouth for the Liberal Party. He was successful in 1928 and returned to Parliament for the United Party until he was defeated at the 1938 election by Labour candidate Frederick Frost.[8]
Smith was Minister of Labour and Minister of Mines in the United Government from 28 May 1930 to 22 September 1931.[9] He was Minister of Education in the United/Reform Coalition from 22 November 1934 to 6 December 1935.[10] He was Chairman of Committees from 11 December 1928 to 28 May 1930, and again from 27 October 1931 to 12 February 1935.[11]
In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[12]
Death
Smith, who was known as Sid to his friends, died on 21 May 1943 at New Plymouth,[2] and was buried at Te Henui Cemetery.[13] He was survived by his second wife and his six children. All three of his sons were at the time serving overseas in WWII.[2] His son Raymond was killed on 24 December 1943 by a sniper in Italy.[14]
Notes
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References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sydney George Smith. |
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Political offices | ||
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Preceded by | Chairman of Committees of the House of Representatives 1928–1930 1931–1935 |
Succeeded by William Bodkin |
Preceded by
William Bodkin
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Succeeded by Jimmy Nash |
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Preceded by | Minister of Education 1934–1935 |
Succeeded by Peter Fraser |
New Zealand Parliament | ||
Preceded by | Member of Parliament for Taranaki 1918–1925 |
Succeeded by Charles Bellringer |
In abeyance
Title last held by
Edward Metcalf Smith |
Member of Parliament for New Plymouth 1928–1938 |
Succeeded by Frederick Frost |
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- ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 252.
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- Pages with reference errors
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- Use New Zealand English from August 2014
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- 1879 births
- 1943 deaths
- Independent MPs of New Zealand
- New Zealand Liberal Party MPs
- New Zealand National Party MPs
- Members of the Cabinet of New Zealand
- United Party (New Zealand) MPs
- New Zealand education ministers
- New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates
- Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
- Unsuccessful candidates in the New Zealand general election, 1938
- Unsuccessful candidates in the New Zealand general election, 1925
- Burials at Te Henui Cemetery