Jimmy Maher (politician)

Maher was born in 1888 in Palmerston North. He received his education at a local school until age 12, when his father died and he became a farm worker. He then went sharemilking, and leased a farm at Mangaroa, which he later purchased. He was the inaugural president of the Town Milk Supplies Board from 1943, chaired the Wellington Dairy Farmers Co-op Association, was a member of the Hutt Valley Council, a member of the Hutt Valley Power Board, and was a treasurer of Federated Farmers in 1948.[1]

In the 1943 election, Maher contested the Wairarapa electorate, but was beaten by the incumbent, Labour's Ben Roberts.[1][2] At the next general election in 1946, he successfully contested the Otaki electorate, where the incumbent, Labour's Leonard Lowry, retired that year.[3] Maher represented the electorate until he retired in 1960.[4] Allan McCready his son-in-law succeeded to the Otaki seat.

In the 1962 Queen's Birthday Honours, Maher was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the community.[5] He died on 28 July 1964.[1]

• Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.