William James Dickie (10 April 1869 – 24 June 1921) was a
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
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Member of Parliament in New Zealand, and opposition Whip.
Biography
Dickie was one of six children; he was born in
Cobden, Westland,
on 10 April 1869 to William Dickie (who had arrived in New Zealand in the late 1850s from
Menstrie
Menstrie (Scottish Gaelic: ) is a village in the county of Clackmannanshire in Scotland. It is about east-northeast of Stirling and is one of a string of towns that, because of their location at the foothill base of the Ochil Hills, are collec ...
, Scotland) and Mary Dent, who were early settlers to
Greymouth
Greymouth () (Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coas ...
. He farmed with Arthur Ingham Dent from 1902 in
Lyndhurst near
Ashburton.
He won the
Selwyn electorate in
1911
A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole.
Events January
* January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...
, and again in December 1914.
The electorate was abolished for the 1919 election, and he was defeated in
1919
Events
January
* January 1
** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia.
** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the c ...
by
William Nosworthy
Sir William Nosworthy (18 October 1867 – 26 September 1946) was a New Zealand politician. He briefly served as Minister of Finance and then Minister of External Affairs in the Reform Government.
Biography
Nosworthy stood in the el ...
standing for
Ashburton.
From 1916 until 1919 he was the Liberal 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 ...
.
Dickie committed suicide on 24 June 1921 at his farm in Lyndhurst; he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Dickie was buried at the
Methven cemetery.
He was survived by his wife, three sons, Colin, Deacon and Alan and four daughters Mary Ellen, Margaret, Catherine and Herwini.
Notes
References
*
1869 births
1921 suicides
New Zealand Liberal Party MPs
New Zealand politicians who committed suicide
Suicides by firearm in New Zealand
New Zealand MPs for South Island electorates
Unsuccessful candidates in the 1919 New Zealand general election
Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
People from Greymouth
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