William Pember Reeves

For other people named William Reeves, see William Reeves (disambiguation).

William Pember Reeves
Portrait of William Pember Reeves possibly taken when he was elected to be a member of parliament in 1887
Minister of Labour
In office 1891–1896
Monarch	Queen Victoria
Prime Minister	John Ballance Richard Seddon
5th Agent-General to the United Kingdom
In office 1896–1905
Preceded by	Westby Perceval
1st High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
In office 1905–1908
Succeeded by	William Hall-Jones
Personal details
Born	10 February 1857 Lyttelton, Canterbury Region, New Zealand
Died	London
Political party	Liberal
Spouse(s)	Magdalen Stuart Robison
Relations	William Reeves (father)
Children	Amber Reeves
Occupation	lawyer and journalist

The Hon. William Pember Reeves (10 February 1857 – 16 May 1932) was a New Zealand politician, historian and poet who promoted social reform.

Early life and career

Reeves's parents were William Reeves, who was a journalist and politician, and Ellen Reeves, née Pember. They had migrated from Britain to Canterbury Province in 1857, arriving three weeks before he was born.

He was educated at a private "prep" school in Christchurch, the local high school and, from 1867 to 1874, Christ's College Grammar School. Before entering politics, Reeves was a lawyer and journalist. He was editor of the Canterbury Times in 1885 and the Lyttelton Times (1889–1891).

Political career

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1887–1890	10th	St Albans		Independent
1890–1893	11th	Christchurch		Liberal
1893–1896	12th	Christchurch		Liberal

Reeves represented the Christchurch electorate of St Albans in Parliament from 1887 to 1890, and then Christchurch from 1890 to 1896, when he resigned to take up the post of Agent General. During the premierships of John Ballance (1891–93) and Richard Seddon (1893–1906) he served as Minister of Labour (1892–96), Minister of Education (1891–96), Minister of Justice (1891–92, 1893, 1895–96) and Commissioner of Stamp Duties (1892–96). As Minister of Labour he introduced the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1894 and the Undesirable Immigrants Exclusion Bill, which, if it had been passed, would have barred poor and Asian immigrants from the country. His opposition to the entry of those he considered "undesirable" immigrants earned him the nickname "Undesirable Bill" Reeves.

In London

In January 1896 Reeves left New Zealand for London, where he was Agent General (1896–1905) and High Commissioner (1905–08). While he was in Britain Reeves became a friend of a number of left-wing intellectuals, such as George Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells, and Sidney and Beatrice Webb, all leading members of the Fabian Society. He was also a member of the Coefficients dining club of social reformers.

William Pember Reeves in 1925

Reeves became Director of the London School of Economics (1908–19) and President of the Anglo-Hellenic League (1913–25). He also headed the committee organising the First Universal Races Congress in London in 1911. Finally, he was chairman of the board of the National Bank of New Zealand from 1917 to 31.

Reeves's more influential writings include his history of New Zealand, The Long White Cloud (1898) and State Experiments in Australia and New Zealand (1902). He also published a number of poems, such as "The Passing of the Forest" and "A Colonist in his Garden".

Reeves married, in 1885, the feminist Magdalen Stuart Robison, who joined the Fabian Society. They had two daughters, the feminist writer Amber Reeves (born 1887) and Beryl (born 1889), and one son, Fabian Pember Reeves (1895–1917), who was killed in the First World War, aged 21, as a Flight Lieutenant in the RNAS.

Reeves three times declined offers of a knighthood.

External links

• Biography in the 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
• Biography from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography on Te Ara
• Works by William Pember Reeves at Project Gutenberg
• The Long White Cloud at Project Gutenberg, or at the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre
• "The Passing of the Forest" at the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre

Political offices
Preceded by Thomas William Hislop	Minister of Education 1891–1896	Succeeded by William Campbell Walker
Preceded by William Russell	Minister of Justice 1891–1892 1893 1895–1896	Succeeded by Alfred Cadman
Preceded by Alfred Cadman		Succeeded by Alfred Cadman
Preceded by Alfred Cadman		Succeeded by William Hall-Jones
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Francis James Garrick	Member of Parliament for St Albans 1887–1890	In abeyance Title next held by Jack Watts
Vacant Constituency recreated after abolition in 1881 Title last held by Samuel Paull Andrews, Edward Richardson, Edward Cephas John Stevens	Member of Parliament for Christchurch 1890–1896 Served alongside: Westby Perceval (1890–1891), Richard Molesworth Taylor (1890–1893), Ebenezer Sandford (1891–1893), George John Smith and William Whitehouse Collins (1893–1896)	Succeeded by George John Smith, William Whitehouse Collins, Charles Lewis
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Westby Perceval	Agent-General of New Zealand in the United Kingdom 1895–1905	Post abolished, replaced by High Commissioner of New Zealand to the United Kingdom
New title	High Commissioner of New Zealand to the United Kingdom 1905–1908	Succeeded by William Hall-Jones
Educational offices
Preceded by Halford Mackinder	Director of the London School of Economics 1908–1919	Succeeded by William Beveridge