Andrew Walker (politician)

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Andrew Walker
Andrew Walker.tif
2nd President of the Labour Party
In office
1917–1918
Vice President Michael Joseph Savage
Leader Alfred Hindmarsh
Preceded by James McCombs
Succeeded by Tom Paul
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Dunedin North
In office
1914–1919
Preceded by George M. Thomson
Succeeded by Edward Kellett
Personal details
Born 1855
North Berwick, Scotland
Died 10 July 1934
Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Political party United Labour Party (1912–1916)
Labour (1916–1934)
Religion Baptist

Andrew Walker (1855 – 10 July 1934) was a New Zealand politician of the United Labour Party and then the Labour Party from Dunedin.

Early life

Walker was born in North Berwick, Scotland in 1855.[1] He came to New Zealand in 1860.[2] He attended school in Dunedin's Union Street, where Robert Stout was one of his teachers. He left school aged 14 to learn the trade of printing at the Evening Star. He became a prominent union leader.[1] Walker made a name for himself serving as the secretary of the Otago Typographical Union where he acted as a mentor to younger members such as Kenneth McLean Baxter, leaving them with lasting commitments to the labour movement.[3] He was also a Baptist dean and treasurer of Hanover Street Baptist Church.[4]

Political career

Parliament of New Zealand
Years Term Electorate Party
1914–1916 19th Dunedin North United Labour
1916–1919 Changed allegiance to: Labour

He represented the Dunedin North electorate in Parliament from 1914 to 1919, when he was defeated by the Independent Edward Kellett.[5] Walker was a protégé of Labour movement organizer Tom Paul, who did not contest a seat himself in the election, as he sat on the Legislative council, but must have felt vindicated after Walker's success.[6]

In 1914 he won election, with Alfred Hindmarsh and Bill Veitch as the remnant of the United Labour Party,[7] and in 1916 the remnant and the Socialist Party combined to form the Labour Party (NZLP).

Walker drew up the 1916 constitution and was the first secretary of the Labour Party caucus.[8] He was the President of the NZLP but resigned in 1917 over the State Control issue, as he was a staunch prohibitionist. Between 1919 and 1920 he served as the Labour Party's whip.[9] At the 1919 election, Walker was opposed by an "Independent" Labour candidate, Edward Kellett, for Dunedin North in a straight contest and Walker was defeated.[5]

Later life

Walker retired to Wellington where some of his family lived. For some years, he lived in Fairview Crescent in Kelburn. For his last two years, he lived at 13 Melling Road in Lower Hutt with his daughter and son-in-law. He died at the Lower Hutt residence on 10 July 1934.[1] and was buried at Taita Cemetery.[10] He was survived by his wife and two daughters; another daughter had died in 1919.[1]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Gustafson 1980, p. 168.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Gustafson 1980, pp. 168–169.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Wilson 1985, pp. 210, 243.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Wilson 1985, pp. 205, 242.
  8. ↑ Paul 1946, pp. 192.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

References

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New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Dunedin North
1914–1919		 Succeeded by
Edward Kellett
Party political offices
Preceded by President of the Labour Party
1917–1918		 Succeeded by
Tom Paul
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