Grey Ministry
ministries of New Zealand
1877–1879
Date formed13 October 1877
Date dissolved8 October 1879
People and organisations
Head of stateVictoria
Head of governmentGeorge Grey
Member partyGreyites
Opposition partyConservatives
Opposition leader
History
Election(s)
PredecessorAtkinson Ministry, 1876–1877
SuccessorHall Ministry, 1879–1882

The Grey Ministry was a responsible government that was formed in New Zealand. It formed in October 1877 and governed for two years until October 1879. From the outset, Sir George Grey served as Prime Minister.

Background

As Premier, Grey was highly active in promoting middle-class liberalism to New Zealanders sponsoring ideas such as electoral reform, land taxes, breaking up large estates, regulation of wages and working hours and accessible education. However his ideas were too radical for many of his contemporaries. Grey's administration was perceived as defective and his leadership poor. As he never had a safe majority in Parliament, Grey unsuccessfully asked for a dissolution in 1878. Soon after the economy began to slide into recession, which caused much unemployment and as a result, unpopularity. The next year Grey's government lost a division in the House triggering an election. Grey and his followers failed to win a majority and in October 1879 Grey resigned.[1]

Ministers

The following members served in the Grey Ministry:[2]

Name Image Office Term
Sir George Grey
Prime Minister 15 October 1877 – 8 October 1879
Colonial Secretary 15 October 1877 – 18 October 1877
Minister of Customs 15 October 1877 – 12 January 1878
12 July 1878 – 8 October 1879
Minister of Marine 9 April 1878 – 8 October 1879
Minister of Finance 13 July 1879 – 8 October 1879
William Larnach
Minister of Finance 15 October 1877 – 5 March 1878
Minister of Public Works 15 October 1877 – 5 March 1878
James Macandrew
Minister of Lands 15 October 1877 – 25 July 1878
Minister of Immigration 15 October 1877 – 25 July 1878
Minister of Public Works 28 March 1878 – 8 October 1879
John Sheehan
Minister of Native Affairs 13 October 1877 – 8 October 1879
Minister of Justice 13 October 1877 – 8 October 1879
James Temple Fisher
Postmaster-General 13 October 1877 – 8 October 1879
George Stoddart Whitmore
Colonial Secretary 18 October 1877 – 8 October 1879
John Ballance
Minister of Education 12 January 1878 – 1 July 1879
Minister of Finance 12 January 1878 – 1 July 1879
Robert Stout
Attorney-General 13 March 1878 – 25 June 1879
Minister of Lands 13 March 1878 – 25 June 1879
Hoani Nahi
Member of Executive Council 17 November 1877 – 8 October 1879
John Nathanial Wilson
Member of Executive Council 2 November 1878 – 8 October 1879
William Swanson
Member of Executive Council 17 April 1879 – 15 July 1879
William Gisborne
Minister of Lands 5 July 1879 – 15 July 1879
Minister of Mines 5 July 1879 – 8 October 1879
Minister of Immigration 5 July 1879 – 8 October 1879
James William Thomson
Member of Executive Council 15 July 1879 – 8 October 1879
Minister of Lands 16 July 1879 – 8 October 1879

Notes

  1. ↑ Sinclair, Keith. "Grey, George Edward". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  2. ↑ Wilson 1985, pp. 67–68.

References

  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

See also

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