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Graphic: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand 1966.

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This information was published in 1966 in An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock. It has not been corrected and will not be updated.

Up-to-date information can be found elsewhere in Te Ara.

PRIME MINISTERS OF NEW ZEALAND

Contents


NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTERS

Special Statistics of Prime Ministers

First Prime Minister:

Henry Sewell (1856) aged 48 years.

Youngest Prime Ministers to attain the office:

  1. Stafford (1856) aged 37 years.

  2. Vogel (1873) aged 38 years.

Oldest Prime Ministers to attain the office:

  1. Nash (1957) aged 75 years.

  2. Bell (1925) aged 74 years.

Oldest Prime Minister to hold the office:

  1. Nash (1960), aged 78 years.

  2. Bell (1925), aged 74 years.

  3. Ward (1930), aged 74 years.

  4. Whitaker (1883), aged 71 years.

Longest consecutive term as Prime Minister:

  1. Seddon, 13 years 1 month 1 week.

Shortest terms as Prime Minister:

  1. Sewell (1856), 14 days.

  2. Bell (1925), 16 days.

  3. Hall-Jones (1906), 1 month 1 week.

Longest terms as Prime Minister:

  1. Seddon, 13 years 1 month 1 week.

  2. Massey, 12 years 10 months.

  3. Fraser, 9 years 8 months 1 week.

  4. Stafford, 8 years 10 months (not consecutive).

  5. Holland, 7 years 9 months.

  6. Ward, 7 years 3 months (not consecutive).

Prime Minister with most portfolios:

  1. Atkinson (1889), with 8.

Prime Ministers for greatest number of terms:

  1. Atkinson, 5 terms.

  2. Fox, 4 terms.

  3. Stafford, 3 terms.

  4. Whitaker, Vogel, Stout, Ward, and Holyoake have each had 2 terms.

Prime Ministers who held office while members of the Legislative Council:

  1. Whitaker (1864) (1882).

  2. Waterhouse (1872).

  3. Pollen (1875).

  4. Bell (1925).

Prime Ministers by country of birth:

  1. England, 13.

  2. New Zealand, 5.

  3. Ireland, 4.

  4. Scotland, 3.

  5. Australia, 2.

First New Zealand born Prime Minister:

Sir H. F. D. Bell (1925).

Prime Ministers who died in office:

Ballance (1893), Seddon (1906), Massey (1925), Savage (1940), (Ward died a month after he resigned as Prime Minister, 1930).

Number who have held Warrant as Prime Minister:

(To September 1962) 27.

by Bernard John Foster, M.A., Research Officer, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington.