Alfred Newman (politician)

Alfred Newman
17th Mayor of Wellington
In office 1909–1910
Preceded by	Thomas William Hislop
Succeeded by	Thomas Wilford
Personal details
Born	27 April 1849 Madras, India
Died	3 April 1924 Wellington, New Zealand
Political party	Reform
Spouse(s)	Octavia Newman

Alfred Kingcome Newman (27 April 1849 – 3 April 1924) was the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand in 1909-10, and a Member of Parliament.

Early life

1896 caricature of Dr Alfred Newman

Newman was born in Madras, India, in 1849. 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. Newman became a Doctor of Medicine and returned to New Zealand in 1875.^[1]

Political career

Parliament of New Zealand
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 election on 14 May 1884, Newman, Bunny and Dwan received 636, 379 and 121 votes, respectively.^[4]

At the 1884 election, Newman was re-elected unopposed.^[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]

Later 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 to when he died on 3 April 1924,^[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]

Notes

1. Stenhouse, John. "Newman, Alfred Kingcome". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
2. "Foxton". Thames Star XII (4043). 13 December 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
3. "Thorndon Election". The Evening Post. XXVII (106). 5 May 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
4. "The Thorndon Election". Daily Telegraph (3997). 14 May 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
5. "The Thorndon Seat". Manawatu Standard IV (195 date=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. Wilson 1985, p. 223.
9. 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. Scholefield 1950, p. 82.

References

• 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.