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
| 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.
Political career
He represented the rural Otago electorate of Otago Central from 1928 to 1954, when he retired.
He was Chairman of Committees from 1930 to 1931. He was Minister of Civil Defence in the War Administration in 1942. In the Holland Ministry of the First National Government, he was Minister of Internal Affairs (1949–1954) and Minister of Social Security (1950–1954).
In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal, and in 1953 he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1954.
In 1955, Bodkin was granted the use of the title of "Honourable" for life, having served more than three years as a member of the Executive Council.
Notes
- ^ Brooking, Tom. "Bodkin, William Alexander". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
- ^ Wilson 1985, p. 184.
- ^ Wilson 1985, p. 252.
- ^ Wilson 1985, p. 85.
- ^ Wilson 1985, p. 86.
- ^ "Official jubilee medals". The Evening Post. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
- ^ Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 71. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
- ^ "No. 40103". The London Gazette. 16 February 1954. p. 1007.
- ^ "No. 40421". The London Gazette. 1 March 1955. p. 1269.
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.
