HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Ormond Wilson
OR:
Ormond Wilson on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

George Hamish Ormond Wilson (18 November 1907 – 17 April 1988) was a New Zealand
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
representing the Labour Party, farmer, author and Chairman of the
Historic Places Trust Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (initially the National Historic Places Trust and then, from 1963 to 2014, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust) ( mi, Pouhere Taonga) is a Crown entity with a membership of around 20,000 people that advocate ...
. He donated 30 acres of bush and his homestead to the Crown, which is now administered by the Manawatu District Council.


Early life

Ormond Wilson was born in Bulls in 1907, the son of (George) Hamish Wilson and Ada Mary Ormond. The MPs Sir
James Wilson James Wilson may refer to: Politicians and government officials Canada *James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada * James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Quebe ...
and
John Davies Ormond John Davies Ormond (31 May 1831 – 6 October 1917) was a New Zealand politician whose positions included Superintendent (politics), Superintendent of Hawke's Bay Province, Minister of Public Works and member of the New Zealand Legislative Coun ...
were his grandfathers. His great uncle was the MP
James Wilson James Wilson may refer to: Politicians and government officials Canada *James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada * James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Quebe ...
, Financial Secretary to the Treasury and the founder of the economist and chartered banks of Australia, India, and China. He suffered from severe
hay fever Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, i ...
and as a child, he spent his summers in a hostel on
Mount Egmont Mount Taranaki (), also known as Mount Egmont, is a dormant stratovolcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is the second highest point in the North Island, after Mount Ruapehu. The mountain has a secon ...
in order to be less exposed to pollen. As a twelve-year-old, the family spent half a year in London. On their return, Wilson was sent to
Christ's College, Christchurch Christ's College, Canterbury is an independent Anglican secondary day and boarding school for boys, located in the city centre of Christchurch, New Zealand. Founded in 1850 by Reverend Henry Jacobs in Lyttelton as a school for early settlers, ...
as a boarder (1922–1924). After the fifth form, he went to
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
in preparation for study at
Lincoln College, Oxford Lincoln College (formally, The College of the Blessed Mary and All Saints, Lincoln) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, situated on Turl Street in central Oxford. Lincoln was founded in 1427 by Richard Fleming, the ...
, from where he graduated in 1930. When he returned to New Zealand, he found that he had inherited his grandfather's farm, Mt Lees, located between Bulls and Sanson. He was unprepared for life as a farmer, but he grew into the role. After he lost his seat in
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, he travelled extensively. First, he went to
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
in March 1939 for three days, where he met with Labour leaders, Congressmen, Senators and columnists; he was surprised how much interests was shown in him as a former
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
. Wilson sent his impressions to Christchurch for publication in the journal ''Tomorrow''. He then visited Britain, where he met with old friends from his university days, and the journalists
Kingsley Martin Basil Kingsley Martin (28 July 1897 – 16 February 1969) usually known as Kingsley Martin, was a British journalist who edited the left-leaning political magazine the ''New Statesman'' from 1930 to 1960. Early life He was the son of (Dav ...
and
Dick Crossman Richard Howard Stafford Crossman (15 December 1907 – 5 April 1974) was a British Labour Party politician. A university classics lecturer by profession, he was elected a Member of Parliament in 1945 and became a significant figure among the ...
of the ''
New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...
''. He visited the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
, met with Labour leaders and was invited to their 1939 party conference in
Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Irish ...
as a guest. Travelling via
Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
, he obtained a visa for the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
and experienced an oppressive totalitarian socialist state first hand (he got into trouble taking a tourist photo of a photogenic building). He then spent four days in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
in August 1939, but with war coming, he returned to the UK. He prepared a broadcast covering his travels for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
and this led to a job with the
BBC Overseas Service #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
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 ...
. He married Margery Wace on 29 September 1940 in
Ardingly Ardingly ( ) is an English village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. The village is in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty about south of London and east-north-east of the county town of Chiche ...
,
Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
; she was his superior at the Overseas Service. They had one daughter; Cecilia. His wife died during labour with their second child in 1944. Wilson returned to New Zealand with his young daughter. On 8 January 1946, he married at Napier the war widow Rosamond Russell (née Rolleston), a daughter of
Frank Rolleston Francis Joseph Rolleston (11 May 1873 – 8 September 1946) was a New Zealand politician of the Reform Party (New Zealand), Reform Party. Early life Rolleston was born in Christchurch in 1873, the son of the last Superintendent (New Zealand), S ...
and granddaughter of
William Rolleston William Rolleston (19 September 1831 – 8 February 1903) was a New Zealand politician, public administrator, educationalist and Canterbury provincial superintendent. Early life Rolleston was born on 19 September 1831 at Maltby, Yorkshire as th ...
; both her father and grandfathers had served as Members of Parliament. His second wife had one son and two daughters. They had known each other from Wilson's time in Christchurch and he had made an earlier marriage proposal to her, which she rejected. Together, they had one son (Francis).


Member of Parliament

Ormond Wilson met Labour Party MPs (
Harry Holland Henry Edmund Holland (10 June 1868 – 8 October 1933) was an Australian-born newspaper owner, politician and unionist who relocated to New Zealand. He was the second leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. Early life Holland was born at G ...
,
Michael Joseph Savage Michael Joseph Savage (23 March 1872 – 27 March 1940) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of New Zealand, heading the First Labour Government from 1935 until his death in 1940. Savage was born in the Colony ...
and
James McCombs James (Jimmy) McCombs (9 December 1873 – 2 August 1933) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for Lyttelton. Biography Early life and career McCombs was born in Treanmore, Mohill, County Leitrim, Ireland, the elder child of George McCombs, ...
) at a luncheon at
Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. The name is also used in some other countries. Gover ...
hosted by the
Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
Lord Bledisloe. McCombs said to Holland about this encounter: "I think I've found a comrade." He strengthened his connection with the Labour Party and became close friends with
Walter Nash Sir Walter Nash (12 February 1882 – 4 June 1968) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 27th prime minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960. He is noted for his long period of political service, havin ...
and
Tim Armstrong Timothy Ross Armstrong (born November 25, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and producer. Known for his distinctive voice, he is the singer/guitarist for the punk rock band Rancid and hip hop/punk rock supergroup Transplants. ...
. He was nominated for the Rangitikei electorate and contested the against the incumbent
Alexander Stuart Alexander Stuart may refer to: *Alexander Stuart (scientist) (1673–1742), scientist, winner of the Copley Medal *Alexander Hugh Holmes Stuart (1807–1891), United States Secretary of the Interior between 1850 and 1853 *Alexander Stuart (Australi ...
of the Reform Party. Wilson won the conservative electorate with a majority of 907 votes. At the time of election he was 28; the youngest Labour MP in Parliament. By the next election in , boundary changes had resulted in the loss of the urban part of
Wanganui Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whangan ...
from the electorate, which was now fully rural. Although Labour obtained a landslide victory in the election, Wilson lost against Edward Gordon of the National Party by 300 votes. Wilson returned from overseas and was nominated in the
Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...
electorate for the by Labour. His opponent was Gus Mansford, who had been
Mayor of Palmerston North The Mayor of Palmerston North is the head of the municipal government of Palmerston North, New Zealand, and presides over the Palmerston North City Council. The current mayor is Grant Smith, who became mayor in a February 2015 by-election. This ...
since 1931. Mansford had a strained relationship with the National Party, since his 1935 election campaign in the Palmerston North electorate had contributed to the defeat of
Jimmy Nash James Alfred Nash (27 July 1871 – 24 July 1952), known as Jimmy Nash, was a Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand and a Mayor of Palmerston North. Biography Nash was born in 1871 in Foxton to Ann Ellen Webster and Norman ...
. Mansford failed to get nominated by the National Party for the and elections. So in 1946, the National Party decided not to stand a candidate, with Mansford running as an
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
. Wilson obtained a majority of 928 votes in this two-person contest. Wilson lost the subsequent election in against
Blair Tennent William Blair Tennent (4 December 1898 – 1 May 1976), known as Blair Tennent, was a New Zealand politician of the New Zealand National Party, National Party and a cabinet minister. In Palmerston North he was a dentist, and a local body politic ...
of the National Party.


Later life and death

Wilson was Chairman of the Historic Places Trust 1958–1970, Chairman Board of Trustees National Gallery and Museum 1975–1979 and published "''An Outsider Looks Back...Reflections on Experience''" in 1982. The Wilsons gave their homestead and bush to the Crown and moved to
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 ...
in 1972; Mount Lees Reserve is now one of the most important natural areas administered by Manawatu District Council. His wife had already published a biography on her paternal grandparents. They then published a biography for his maternal grandfather, John Davies Ormond, in 1980. Rosamond Wilson was killed in a car crash in late 1980. Wilson was appointed a
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...
in the 1979 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services as chairman of the
Historic Places Trust Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (initially the National Historic Places Trust and then, from 1963 to 2014, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust) ( mi, Pouhere Taonga) is a Crown entity with a membership of around 20,000 people that advocate ...
and the board of trustees of the National Art Gallery and Museum. He died in Bowen Hospital on 17 April 1988, after having suffered a stroke earlier.


Notes


References

* * *''Ministers and Members in the New Zealand Parliament'' Edited by G.A. Wood (1996, Otago University Press, Dunedin)


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Ormond New Zealand Labour Party MPs New Zealand Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George New Zealand farmers New Zealand writers 1907 births 1988 deaths New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Unsuccessful candidates in the 1949 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1938 New Zealand general election People from Bulls, New Zealand People educated at Christ's College, Christchurch Ormond family Rolleston family Brittan family