William James Girling (9 March 1882 – 7 September 1973) was a Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand. He was elected to the Wairau electorate in the 1922 general election, but was defeated in

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

by Edward Healy of the United Party by a 3% vote margin. He was elected as

Mayor of Blenheim The mayor of Blenheim officiated over the borough of Blenheim, New Zealand. The office was created in 1869 when Blenheim became a borough, and ceased with the 1989 local government reforms, when Blenheim Borough was amalgamated with Picton Boro ...

and served from 1945 to 1950. For the , the Reform and United parties formed a coalition. Part of the agreement was that all incumbents would become the coalition's candidate. Girling stood as an independent in 1931 in opposition to Healy but was again unsuccessful, this time by a 15% vote margin. 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 ...

. In November 1947, he was elected Grand Master of the Masonic Order in New Zealand. In the 1950 King's Birthday Honours, Girling was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

for public services, especially in the Marlborough provincial district. He was appointed to the Legislative Council on 22 June 1950 as a member of the so-called

suicide squad The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...

to vote for its abolition. Girling died in 1973 and was buried at

Omaka Cemetery Omaka Cemetery (also known as Blenheim Omaka Public Cemetery) is a historic cemetery in Blenheim, New Zealand founded in the 1850s. It consists of over 10,000 burials and is the largest cemetery in Marlborough due to its proximity to the region's ...

, Blenheim.

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Auckland City Libraries Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about It ...

1882 births 1973 deaths Reform Party (New Zealand) MPs Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council New Zealand MPs for South Island electorates Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Mayors of Blenheim, New Zealand Unsuccessful candidates in the 1928 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1931 New Zealand general election Burials at Omaka Cemetery New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Masonic Grand Masters {{NewZealand-politician-stub