Story: Premiers and prime ministers

Harry Atkinson

Harry Atkinson

Taranaki politician Harry Atkinson, seen here about a year before his death in 1892, led four governments between 1876 and 1891. Pragmatic, and more liberal on some issues than his usual label as a conservative suggests, he was a stabilising force in politics until late 1890, when in the gap between losing the election and Parliament reassembling, he persuaded new Governor Lord Onslow to appoint him and other conservatives to the upper house. From there they would savage the next government’s reform programmes until the British government reminded Onslow’s successor of his constitutional obligation to follow ministers’ advice and place the new government's appointees in the upper house too.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: 1/2-023105-F

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Gavin McLean, 'Premiers and prime ministers - Party leadership', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/33191/harry-atkinson (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Gavin McLean, published 20 Jun 2012, updated 1 Dec 2016