George Bentham Morris (1839 – 16 April 1903) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament from the Gisborne and

Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaw ...

regions of New Zealand.

Early life

Morris was born in

Oatlands, Tasmania Oatlands is an important historical village on the shores of Lake Dulverton in the centre of Tasmania, Australia. Oatlands is located 84 km north of Hobart and 115 km south of Launceston on the Midland Highway. At the 2016 censu ...

, in 1839, the son of Susan Emma Waudby and Reverend George Sculthorpe Morris. He joined the marines after leaving school, and eventually arrived in New Zealand in 1870, settling in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

Political career

Morris represented the Tauranga electorate in the

Auckland Provincial Council The Auckland Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. Area The province covered roughly half of the North Island of New Zealand. It was the largest of the six initial provinces, both ...

from 12 November 1873 until the abolition of provincial government on 31 October 1876. He represented the

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electorate in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

from 1876 (when he was declared elected on a petition) to 1879, when he was defeated. The in the newly formed electorate was hotly contested. Four candidates were nominated: Morris; William Kelly, who had also previously represented the East Coast electorate;

George Vesey Stewart George Vesey Stewart (1832–1920) was a notable New Zealand farmer, coloniser and local politician. He was born in Brighton, Sussex, England in about 1832. The in the newly formed electorate was hotly contested. Four candidates were nom ...

, then the owner of the ''

Bay of Plenty Times The ''Bay of Plenty Times'' is the regional daily paper for the Bay of Plenty area, including Tauranga, in the North Island of New Zealand. History The ''Bay of Plenty Times'' was first produced on 4 September 1872 as a bi-weekly publication. It ...

''; and Henry Thomas Rowe, a surveyor and commission agent. Rowe announced his retirement from the contest on 6 December three days out from election day, urging his supporters to vote for Stewart instead. The unofficial results were released the day after the election (Saturday, 10 December) and Morris had a majority of 13 votes over Stewart, with the official declaration to be made on 12 December. This was deferred until 14 December, with Morris ahead by 10 votes. Stewart stood for the Tauranga mayoralty a few months later and was elected the town's first mayor. He represented the Tauranga electorate until 1885, when he resigned. He was later a member of the Legislative Council, from 15 May 1885 until his death. He died at his home in

Onehunga Onehunga is a suburb of Auckland in New Zealand and the location of the Port of Onehunga, the city's small port on the Manukau Harbour. It is south of the city centre, close to the volcanic cone of Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill. Onehunga is a ...

on 16 April 1903, aged 63, as a result of tripping and sustaining a blow to his temple. He was buried at Waikaraka Cemetery, Onehunga.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, George 1839 births 1903 deaths People from Tasmania Australian emigrants to New Zealand Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates 19th-century New Zealand politicians Members of the Auckland Provincial Council Burials at Waikaraka Cemetery