Dan Sullivan (New Zealand politician)

For other people of the same name, see Dan Sullivan (disambiguation).
The Honourable
Dan Sullivan
MP

portrait photo of a man in his late 50s

Dan Sullivan in 1941
13th Minister of Railways
In office
26 November 1935  12 December 1941
Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage
Peter Fraser
Preceded by George Forbes
Succeeded by Bob Semple
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Avon
In office
17 December 1919  8 April 1947
Preceded by George Warren Russell
Succeeded by John Mathison
35th Mayor of Christchurch
In office
1931–1936
Preceded by Rev. John Archer
Succeeded by John Beanland
Personal details
Born 18 July 1882
Waltham
Died 8 April 1947(1947-04-08) (aged 64)
Lewisham Hospital, Wellington
Nationality New Zealand
Political party Labour
Cabinet Cabinet of New Zealand

Daniel Giles "Dan" Sullivan (18 July 1882 – 8 April 1947) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister and Mayor of Christchurch.

Early years

Born in Christchurch in 1882, Sullivan was President/Secretary of the Canterbury French Polishers Union and National Federation of Furniture Trades Unions.

He was a member of the Christchurch City Council between 1915–1923 and 1925–1931, and Mayor of Christchurch 1931–1936.

Member of Parliament

Parliament of New Zealand
Years Term Electorate Party
19191922 20th Avon Labour
19221925 21st Avon Labour
19251928 22nd Avon Labour
19281931 23rd Avon Labour
19311935 24th Avon Labour
19351938 25th Avon Labour
19381943 26th Avon Labour
19431946 27th Avon Labour
19461947 28th Avon Labour

Sullivan first stood for Parliament in the 1908 election as a candidate for the Independent Political Labour League in the Avon electorate; he came fourth out of five candidates in the first ballot.[1] The 1908 election was won by George Warren Russell, who would later become a cabinet minister, and was in 1912 considered a possible successor of Joseph Ward as leader of the Liberal Party.[2] In the 1914 election, Sullivan came second out of three candidates in the same electorate, this time standing for the Social Democratic Party, the successor of the IPLL.[3][4]

In the 1919 election, Russell suffered a crushing defeat by Sullivan. As Minister of Public Health, Russell was held responsible by large parts of the population for New Zealand's unpreparedness for the 1918 flu epidemic.[2] Compared to the 1914 election, Sullivan's share of the vote increased by more than 27 percentage points.[3][5] He represented the Avon electorate in the House of Representatives for 28 years from 1919 to 1947.[6] During the 1920s Sullivan and Jimmy McCombs led the opposition to Harry Holland within the Parliamentary Labour Party caucus.[7]

Sullivan was a significant Cabinet Minister in the First Labour Government of New Zealand: the Minister of Industries and Commerce between 1935–47, Minister of Railways from 1935 to 1941 and the high profile wartime Minister of Supply and Munitions. He was also Acting Prime Minister from April to July 1944.

Death and commemoration

Sullivan died on 8 April 1947.[7] Sullivan Avenue in the Christchurch suburb of Woolston was named in Sullivan's honour in 1929.[8] Sullivan Park in Avonside was named for him in 1948.[9]

Notes

  1. AtoJs 1908 election 1909, p. 32.
  2. 1 2 Rice, Geoffrey W. "Russell, George Warren". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  3. 1 2 Hislop, J. (1915). The General Election, 1914. National Library. p. 21. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  4. "The Avon Seat". The Star (11215). 22 October 1914. p. 8. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  5. Hislop, J. (1921). The General Election, 1919. National Library. p. 4. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  6. Wilson 1985, p. 237.
  7. 1 2 Watson, James. "Sullivan, Daniel Giles". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  8. Harper, Margaret. "Christchurch Street Names S" (PDF). Christchurch City Libraries. p. 135. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
  9. Harper, Margaret (18 December 2013). "Christchurch Place Names N-Z" (PDF). Christchurch City Libraries. p. 92. Retrieved 16 February 2014.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Daniel Giles Sullivan.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
George Warren Russell
Member of Parliament for Avon
19191947
Succeeded by
John Mathison
Political offices
Preceded by
John Archer
Mayor of Christchurch
1931–1936
Succeeded by
John Beanland
Preceded by
George Forbes
Minister of Railways
1935–1941
Succeeded by
Bob Semple
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