Charles Harris Burnett (24 June 1875 – 7 January 1947) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.

Early life and family

Born on his parents' farm at Fordell near

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. Whang ...

on 24 June 1875, Burnett was the son of Cornelius Burnett, a barrister and solicitor, and Lily Marion Burnett (née Harris). He was educated at

Wanganui Collegiate School Whanganui Collegiate School (formerly Wanganui Collegiate School; see here) is a state-integrated, coeducational, day and boarding, secondary school in Whanganui, Manawatū-Whanganui region, New Zealand. The school is affiliated to the Anglican c ...

, and went farming when he was 16 years old, going on to farm on the property where he was born for 25 years. He was involved in the establishment of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, and was a life member of the Wanganui Agricultural Society. On 9 October 1901, Burnett married Helen Mary Burr at Omanaia in the

Hokianga The Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as the Hokianga River, a long estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. The original name, still used by local Māori, is ' ...

, and the couple went on to have four children.

Political career

Burnett began his community and political involvement in the Wanganui district. He served for a number of years on the Purua Road Board, the Wanganui County Council and the Fordell school board. He was later elected as a member of the Wanganui City Countil, serving in that capacity for 13 years. He also served on the Wanganui-Rangitikei Electric Power Board, the Wanganui-Rangitikei Hospital Board, and the Wellington Land Board. In 1932, he unsuccessfully stood for election as a member of the

New Zealand Dairy Board The New Zealand Dairy Board (NZDB) was a statutory board in control of the export of all New Zealand dairy products from its formation in 1923 until 2001. It operated through a global network of marketing subsidiaries. In 2001, the Dairy Board wa ...

. He represented the

Tauranga Tauranga () is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty region and the fifth most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of , or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century, colonised by ...

electorate from 1935 to 1938, when he was defeated. He was to stand as an independent candidate for the 1941 New Zealand general election. However, the election was cancelled due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Later life and death

Burnett remained in the Tauranga district, and died there on 7 January 1947. He was buried at Tauranga Public Anglican Cemetery. His widow, Helen Burnett, died in 1964.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Burnett, Charles 1875 births 1947 deaths People educated at Whanganui Collegiate School New Zealand Labour Party MPs Unsuccessful candidates in the 1938 New Zealand general election Candidates in the 1941 New Zealand general election Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates