George Fowlds

File:George Fowlds, ca 1910.jpg

George Fowlds in ca 1910

Sir George Matthew Fowlds CBE (15 September 1860 – 17 August 1934) was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party.

Early life

Fowlds was born in Fenwick, East Ayrshire, Scotland. His father, Matthew Fowlds, was a handloom weaver (who lived to be 101 years old). As a boy, George Fowlds weaved linen sheets. He attended Hairshaw School in Waterside. He did his apprenticeship at a clothier in Kilmarnock, and later worked in Glasgow, where he attended night classes at Anderson's College.

Fowlds emigrated to South Africa in 1882 and lived in Cape Town, Beaufort West, and Bultfontein. In 1884, he married Mary Ann Fulton, who was also from Fenwick. In the following year, they moved to Auckland, New Zealand, as the South African climate was detrimental to his wife's health. He built up a business as a clothier in Victoria Street.

Member of Parliament

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1899–1902	14th	City of Auckland		Liberal
1902–1905	15th	Grey Lynn		Liberal
1905–1908	16th	Grey Lynn		Liberal
1908–1911	17th	Grey Lynn		Liberal

In the 1896 election, Fowlds stood in the three-member City of Auckland electorate and came seventh. Fowlds represented the City of Auckland electorate from 1899 to 1902, and then the Grey Lynn electorate from 1902 to 1911.

In 1905 Fowlds decided to return to Scotland for his father’s 100th birthday. He decided he needed a New Zealand passport when his ship was about to leave, though they were not then usually required for overseas travel; an inconvenience to the department, and to the Governor who then personally signed each New Zealand passport.

Independent Liberal

Though critical of some of the policies of Premier Richard Seddon, Fowlds did not support the New Liberal Party in 1905. He was "in favour of the referendum and an elective Executive".

Fowlds was Minister of Education and Minister of Public Health from 1906 to 1911. He resigned from Cabinet in September 1911 so he could remain a private member until there was "a truly democratic party in a position to form a government".

Fowlds stood as an Independent Liberal Labour candidate for Grey Lynn in the 1911 election. At the next contest in 1914 he was under the United Labour Party banner. But, in 1919, he was again a Liberal.

Death and legacy

Fowlds was made a CBE in 1919 and knighted in 1928. He was the first chairman of Massey Agricultural College from 1927 to 1934. He died on 17 August 1934 at Auckland and was survived by his wife.

The personal papers of Sir George Fowlds are housed in Special Collections at the University of Auckland Library. The extensive collection covers political, personal, business and social matters and includes letters, newspaper clippings, speech drafts, articles, sermons, accounts books, photographs and cartoons.

Fowlds Park was named after him in 1933.

Further reading

Works of Fowlds

• This is reprinted from the Auckland Star of 3 June 1910.

Works about Fowlds

• This is reprinted from the N.Z. Town and Country Life of 25 June 1913.

• This is reprinted from the New Zealand draper of 30 November 1921.

• This is a version of an undated M.A. thesis from the University of Auckland.

External links

New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by James Job Holland William Crowther Thomas Thompson	Member of Parliament for City of Auckland 1899–1902 Served alongside: William Napier, William Crowther, Joseph Witheford	Succeeded by Frederick Baume Joseph Witheford Alfred Kidd
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Grey Lynn 1902–1911	Succeeded by John Payne
Political offices
Preceded by William Hall-Jones	Minister of Education 1906–1911	Succeeded by Josiah Hanan