Sir William Murray Gallagher (born 22 January 1941) is a New Zealand businessman.

Biography

Gallagher was born on 22 January 1941, the son of Bill Gallagher and Millie Gallagher (née Murray). The younger Bill Gallagher and his brother

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

took increasing roles in the business and marketing side of the family firm through the 1960s, with Bill leading the company's export push into Australia and becoming the chief executive and chairman in 1973. By 2010, the Gallagher Group was exporting to over 130 countries with revenue of $160 million, and had over 1000 employees, including 600 in New Zealand. Their product range had expanded to include high-powered electric fences, automatic gate openers, security access systems, and animal weighing devices. Gallagher and his wife, Judi, have three children.

Hamilton statue controversy

In 2013, the Gallagher Group donated to Hamilton City a statue of John Fane Charles Hamilton, a British naval officer who was killed at the

Battle of Gate Pā The Tauranga campaign was a six-month-long armed conflict in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty region, Bay of Plenty in early 1864, and part of the New Zealand Wars that were fought over issues of land ownership and sovereignty. The campaign was a se ...

, for whom the city was named. In 2017, Gallagher gave a speech in which he called the

Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi (), sometimes referred to as ''Te Tiriti'', is a document of central importance to the history of New Zealand, Constitution of New Zealand, its constitution, and its national mythos. It has played a major role in the tr ...

a "fraud", and said that non-Māori risked being stripped of their rights and becoming unable to visit New Zealand's beaches. In 2018, the statue of Hamilton was defaced with red paint, and it was removed from public display in Civic Square by the

Hamilton City Council Hamilton City Council is the governing body of the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Since 21 November 1960, Council has met at Hamilton City Hall at 71 Main Street West. The current council consists of the mayor In many countries, a may ...

in 2020 following a request from the local

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English. ...

Waikato Tainui Waikato Tainui, Waikato or Tainui is a group of Māori ''iwi'' based in the Waikato Region, in the western central region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the larger Tainui confederation of Polynesian settlers who arrived to New Zeal ...

. Gallagher subsequently circulated reports to city councillors detailing an alternative history of New Zealand in which

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

were not the first inhabitants of New Zealand, a theory that has been debunked by leading historians.

Philanthropy

The Sir William and Lady Judi Gallagher Foundation provides scholarships for computing and mathematical science, engineering, management and music (specifically opera).

Honours and awards

In the 1987 Queen's Birthday Honours, Gallagher was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, for services to export. In 1990, he was awarded the

New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal was a commemorative medal awarded in New Zealand in 1990 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, and was awarded to 3,632 people. Background The New Zealand 1990 Com ...

. Gallagher was appointed a

Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ...

, for services to business and export, in the

1999 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1999 for various Commonwealth realms were announced on 30 December 1998, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1999. The ''Honours list'' is a list of people who have been awarded one of the various orders, d ...

, and promoted to

Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant (document), royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Monarchy of New Zealand, Queen of New Zealand, "for th ...

in the

2011 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2011 were announced on 31 December 2010 in the United Kingdom,United Kingdom: New Zealand,New Zealand"New Year Honours 2011"(14 January 2011) 2 '' New Zealand Gazette'' 55. The Cook IslandsThe Cook Islands: Grenada,Grenada: ...

, for services to business. In 2004, Gallagher was inducted into the

New Zealand Business Hall of Fame The New Zealand Business Hall of Fame is a figurative hall of fame dedicated to New Zealanders who have made a significant contribution to the economic and social development of New Zealand. The hall was established in 1994 by the Young Enterpri ...

, and in 2008 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the

University of Waikato The University of Waikato (), established in 1964, is a Public university, public research university located in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand. An additional campus is located in Tauranga. The university performs research in nume ...

. In 2025, Gallagher was made a life member of National Fieldays, recognising his contributions to the event itself as well as to the New Zealand agritech industry in general.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallagher, Bill 1941 births Living people People from Hamilton, New Zealand New Zealand businesspeople New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit