Frederick Doidge

Sir Frederick Widdowson Doidge KCMG (26 February 1884 – 26 May 1954) was a journalist in New Zealand and England, then a National Party member in the New Zealand House of Representatives.

Doidge circa 1940.

Biography

Early life and career

Doidge was born in Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia. His father, Edwin Doidge, was a journalist in Thames, New Zealand, and founded the Cootamundra Liberal in August 1882 in competition with the Cootamundra Herald. Frederick Doidge received his training as a journalist from his father. Doidge came to New Zealand in 1902.[1]

Political career
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1938–1943 26th Tauranga National
1943–1946 27th Tauranga National
1946–1949 28th Tauranga National
1949–1951 29th Tauranga National

In the 1935 election, Doidge ran as an Independent in the Rotorua electorate after having had a brief encounter with the anti-Labour New Zealand Democrat Party.[1] Of the four candidates, he came second after Labour's Alexander Moncur.[2] The next year he ran as the new National Party's candidate in the 1936 Manukau by-election, becoming the first National candidate to run for election in history. He was defeated by Labour candidate Arthur Osborne.[3]

Doidge then represented the electorate of Tauranga for National from 1938 to 1951, when he retired.[4]

He served as both Minister of External Affairs and Minister of Island Territories from 1950 to 1951 in the First National Government of New Zealand.[5] Later, Doidge became New Zealand's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1951 until his death. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1953 New Year Honours,[6] and awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.[7]

Death

Doidge died in London on 26 May 1954 from cancer.[1]

References
  1. Waterson, D. B. "Doidge, Frederick Widdowson". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  2. "General Election". The Evening Post. Vol. CXX, no. 138. 7 December 1935. p. 11. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  3. "Final Figures". Auckland Star. Vol. LXVII, no. 237. 6 October 1936. p. 9. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  4. Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 193. OCLC 154283103.
  5. New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, Vol. 293 (1950).
  6. London Gazette (supplement), No. 39735, 30 December 1952. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  7. Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 411. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.


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