George John Smith
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George John Smith | |
|---|---|
 George John Smith | |
| Member of Parliament for City of Christchurch | |
| In office 1893–1899 | |
| Preceded by | Ebenezer Sandford |
| Succeeded by | Harry Ell |
| In office 1901–1902 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Lewis |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Davey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1862 |
| Died | 1946 (aged 83–84) |
| Party | Independent |
| Spouse | married 1887 to the only daughter of the late Mr. R. Dawsson |
Colonel George John Smith CBE (1862–1946) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for the City of Christchurch electorate in the South Island, and later a member of the Legislative Council.
Smith was born in Consett in County Durham and educated at the Wesleyan Church School in Newcastle upon Tyne. Following that, he worked at the office of the Government solicitors.[1]
He came to New Zealand in 1879. He was a lawyer and businessman in Christchurch. He was a councillor on the Sydenham Borough Council. A strong prohibitionist, Smith was elected to the Sydenham Licensing Committee in 1891, which was determined to refuse all licences in the borough. Several members including Smith were removed from this position by order of the Supreme Court for "incurable bias".[1]
Member of Parliament
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1893–1896 | 12th | Christchurch | Independent | ||
| 1896–1899 | 13th | Christchurch | Independent | ||
| 1901–1902 | 14th | Christchurch | Independent Liberal | ||
Smith then stood for parliament. In the 1893 election, he came second in the three-member City of Christchurch electorate, and thus entered the House of Representatives. He was re-elected in 1896 (coming second in the electorate), but defeated in 1899. He was returned to parliament again at the 1901 City of Christchurch by-election triggered by the resignation of Charles Lewis.[1][2] Smith was an Independent MP for his entire parliamentary career.[3]
He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1918 New Year Honours.
Legislative Council
Smith was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1907, and was a member from 1907 to 1914 and 1920 to 1932.[4]
