David William Coleman
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David William Coleman (1881 – 13 March 1951) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.


Biography


Early life

He was born in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in 1881, and lived as a child and young man in
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
. He worked as a carpenter and later as a furniture salesman. He joined the local debating society and maintained an interest in the vocation for the rest of his life. In 1902, aged 21, he emigrated to New Zealand and first lived in
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
, before moving to Gisborne where he established his own retail business. In 1904 he married Julia Jane Bigwood and had two children.


Political career

Coleman became secretary of the Poverty Bay Labourers' Union and then became secretary of the Gisborne branch of the
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
(SDP). Coleman supported the merger of the SDP into the
New Zealand Labour Party The New Zealand Labour Party ( mi, Rōpū Reipa o Aotearoa), or simply Labour (), is a centre-left political party in New Zealand. The party's platform programme describes its founding principle as democratic socialism, while observers descr ...
and was on the Labour Party's first national executive, serving on it and the Gisborne LRC for twenty-one years. He was
Mayor of Gisborne The Mayor of Gisborne officiates over the Gisborne District Gisborne District or the Gisborne Region (Māori: ''Te Tairāwhiti'' or ''Te Tai Rāwhiti'') is a local government area of northeastern New Zealand. It is governed by Gisborne Dist ...
for two separate spells, from 1927–33 and 1935–41. He was likewise a member of the Cook Hospital Board, Poverty Bay Power Board and Gisborne Fire Board. He represented the Gisborne electorate from
1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...
, having stood unsuccessfully in the and the . He retired in
1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...
owing to ill health. From 1942 until 1947 he was the Labour Party's junior
whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
. Coleman was then Parliamentary
Under-Secretary Undersecretary (or under secretary) is a title for a person who works for and has a lower rank than a secretary (person in charge). It is used in the executive branch of government, with different meanings in different political systems, and is al ...
to the Minister of Works from 1947 to 1949.


Later life and death

In 1935, he was awarded the
King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver J ...
. Coleman died on 13 March 1951, aged 69, survived by his second wife, son and daughter. He was buried at Taruheru Cemetery, Gisborne. He had been predeceased by his wife, Julia Jane Coleman, in 1941.


Notes


References

* * 1881 births 1951 deaths New Zealand Labour Party MPs Social Democratic Party (New Zealand) politicians Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates Unsuccessful candidates in the 1928 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1925 New Zealand general election Mayors of Gisborne, New Zealand New Zealand trade unionists Burials at Taruheru Cemetery Members of district health boards in New Zealand British emigrants to New Zealand {{NZLabour-politician-stub