Mark Anthony Fagan (17 November 1873 – 31 December 1947) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party and a union secretary. He was Speaker of the Legislative Council from 1939 until his death.

Biography

Early life

Fagan was born at Gaffneys Creek, Victoria, Australia, in 1873, and went to school in

Waratah, Tasmania Waratah is a locality and town in North Western Tasmania adjacent to Savage River National Park. The town was constructed to support a tin mine Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging * Miner, a person engaged in m ...

until he was 10. He then worked in various Australian towns as a miner. By the time he came to New Zealand about 1900, he had split from his first wife. In the West Coast mining community he was the "voice of thoughtful militancy in the 'Red' federation" of Labour. His second marriage was to Monica McKittrick (née Gardiner), a widow with three children whom he married on 10 September 1917 in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

Political career

Fagan was expected by many to stand in the

1918 Grey by-election The Grey by-election of 1918 was a by-election during the 18th New Zealand Parliament. It was held on the 29 May 1918. The seat had become vacant due to the imprisonment of sitting member Paddy Webb who was jailed on the issue of his vocal oppo ...

after the sitting member,

Paddy Webb Patrick Charles Webb (30 November 1884 – 23 March 1950) was a New Zealand trade unionist and politician. Early life Webb was born in Rutherglen, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria. His father, George Webb, was a miner, and P ...

, was jailed for his vocal opposition to conscription, but the Labour Party hierarchy chose

Harry Holland Henry Edmund Holland (10 June 1868 – 8 October 1933) was an Australian-born newspaper owner, politician and unionist who relocated to New Zealand. He was the second leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. Early life Holland was born at G ...

from

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

instead based on the latter's strong showing in the Wellington North by-election a few months prior. Fagan stood in the 1925 general election in the Motueka electorate, but was beaten by the incumbent, Richard Hudson of the Reform Party. In 1928, he moved to

Petone Petone (Māori: ''Pito-one''), a large suburb of Lower Hutt, Wellington, stands at the southern end of the Hutt Valley, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour. The Māori name means "end of the sand beach". Europeans first settled in Pe ...

in the

Hutt Valley The Hutt Valley (or 'The Hutt') is the large area of fairly flat land in the Hutt River valley in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Like the river that flows through it, it takes its name from Sir William Hutt, a director of the New Zeala ...

and in the following year, he was the organiser for

Walter Nash Sir Walter Nash (12 February 1882 – 4 June 1968) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 27th prime minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960. He is noted for his long period of political service, havin ...

's successful Hutt by-election. Fagan was on Labour's National Executive from 1930. On 11 June 1930 he was appointed to the Legislative Council by the United Government, and at the end of each seven-year term, he was reappointed twice. He was reappointed by the United-Reform Coalition on 11 June 1935, and was reappointed by the First Labour Government on 11 June 1944. He was

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

from 18 July 1939 until his death. He was a Minister without portfolio in the first Labour Government from 6 December 1935 until 18 July 1939, and was acting Minister of Customs in 1939 when Walter Nash was overseas. 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 ...

Death

His wife Monica died in 1932, being survived by three daughters from her first marriage. He died in

, Wellington on 31 December 1947. The Fagans are buried at

Karori Cemetery Karori Cemetery is New Zealand's second largest cemetery, located in the Wellington suburb of Karori. History Karori Cemetery opened in 1891 to address overcrowding at Bolton Street Cemetery. In 1909, it received New Zealand's first cremato ...

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fagan, Mark 1873 births 1947 deaths Australian emigrants to New Zealand Speakers of the New Zealand Legislative Council Members of the Cabinet of New Zealand New Zealand Labour Party MLCs Wellington Harbour Board members Social Democratic Party (New Zealand) politicians Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council Unsuccessful candidates in the 1925 New Zealand general election Burials at Karori Cemetery