William Bodkin (New Zealand politician)

Bodkin in 1935.

Sir William Alexander Bodkin KCVO (28 April 1883 – 15 June 1964) was a New Zealand politician of the United Party, and from 1936, the National Party.

Biography

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1928–1931	23rd	Otago Central		United
1931–1935	24th	Otago Central		United
1935–1936	25th	Otago Central		United
1936–1938	Changed allegiance to:			National
1938–1943	26th	Otago Central		National
1943–1946	27th	Otago Central		National
1946–1949	28th	Otago Central		National
1949–1951	29th	Otago Central		National
1951–1954	30th	Otago Central		National

Early life

Bodkin was born in Queenstown in 1883.^[1]

Political career

He represented the rural Otago electorate of Otago Central from 1928 to 1954, when he retired.^[2]

He was Chairman of Committees from 1930 to 1931.^[3] He was Minister of Civil Defence in the War Administration in 1942.^[4] In the Holland Ministry of the First National Government, he was Minister of Internal Affairs (1949–1954) and Minister of Social Security (1950–1954).^[5]

In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.^[6] He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1954.^[7]

Notes

1. Brooking, Tom. "Bodkin, William Alexander". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
2. Wilson 1985, p. 184.
3. Wilson 1985, p. 252.
4. Wilson 1985, p. 85.
5. Wilson 1985, p. 86.
6. "Official jubilee medals". The Evening Post. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
7. The London Gazette: no. 40103. p. 1007. 16 February 1954. Retrieved 6 July 2013.

References

• 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.