George Fowlds

Fowlds was born in Fenwick, East Ayrshire, Scotland. His father, Matthew Fowlds, was a handloom weaver and was the last surviving member of the Fenwick Weavers' Society.{{Cite web|url=http://fenwickweaverscooperative.com/frenwick-weavers-society/history/sir-george-fowlds-cbe/|title=Sir George Fowlds CBE – The Fenwick Weavers|access-date=2019-11-10|archive-date=10 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110011926/http://fenwickweaverscooperative.com/frenwick-weavers-society/history/sir-george-fowlds-cbe/|url-status=dead}} He lived to be 101 years old. As a boy, George Fowlds weaved linen sheets. He attended Hairshaw School in Waterside. He did his apprenticeship at a clothier in Kilmarnock, and later worked in Glasgow, where he attended night classes at Anderson's College.{{sfn|Scholefield|1940|pp=272f}} After completing his studies in commerce he worked several jobs as a general labourer, fencer, carpenter and painter before deciding to leave Scotland.{{sfn|Gustafson|1980|p=156}}

Fowlds emigrated to Cape Colony in 1882 and lived in Cape Town, Beaufort West, and Bultfontein. In 1884, he married Mary Ann Fulton, who was also from Fenwick. In the following year, they moved to Auckland, New Zealand, as the South African climate was detrimental to his wife's health. He built up a business as a clothier in Victoria Street.{{sfn|Scholefield|1940|pp=272f}} In New Zealand he became involved in community affairs becoming a prominent Freemason, Rotarian, member of the Workers' Educational Association (WEA) and was chairman of the Congregational Union of New Zealand.{{sfn|Gustafson|1980|p=156}}

File:S.S. Mapourika. E.G. Allen, Geo George Fowlds, J. O'Meara, 1903, PH-NEG-2681 001.jpg, Fowlds and John O'Meara during the Parliamentary Excursion to South Sea Islands, 1903]]

{{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true|align=left}}

{{NZ parlbox

|start = {{NZ election link year|1899}}

|end = 1902

|term = 14th

|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|City of Auckland}}

|party = New Zealand Liberal Party

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{{NZ parlbox

|start = {{NZ election link year|1902}}

|end = 1905

|term = 15th

|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Grey Lynn}}

|party = New Zealand Liberal Party

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1905}}

|end = 1908

|term = 16th

|electorate = Grey Lynn

|party = New Zealand Liberal Party

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{{NZ parlbox

|start = {{NZ election link year|1908}}

|end = 1911

|term = 17th

|electorate = Grey Lynn

|party = New Zealand Liberal Party

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{{End}}

In the {{NZ election link|1896}}, Fowlds stood in the three-member {{NZ electorate link|City of Auckland}} electorate and came seventh.{{cite news |title=The General Election |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=AS18961223.2.28.8 |access-date=8 January 2014 |work=Auckland Star |date=23 December 1896 |volume=XXVII |issue=305 |page=6}} Fowlds represented the City of Auckland electorate from 1899 to 1902, and then the Grey Lynn electorate from 1902 to 1911.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=197}} In 1890, Fowlds moved his family to Mount Albert, to a large country house known as Greystone Knowe.{{cite book |year=2016 |title=Mt Albert Then and Now |first=Deborah |last=Dunsford |publisher=Mount Albert Historical Society Inc. |location=Auckland, New Zealand |isbn=978-0-473-36016-0 |pages=64–65}}

He was a firm believer in a single tax and was by extension the president of the New Zealand Land Values League, a Georgist group dedicated to implementing a land value tax.{{sfn|Gustafson|1980|p=156}} In 1905 Fowlds decided to return to Scotland for his father's 100th birthday. He decided he needed a New Zealand passport when his ship was about to leave, though they were not then usually required for overseas travel; an inconvenience to the department, and to the Governor who then personally signed each New Zealand passport.Bassett, Michael, The Mother of All Departments (1997, Auckland University Press, Auckland) {{ISBN|1-86940-175-1}}

Though critical of some of the policies of Premier Richard Seddon, Fowlds did not support the New Liberal Party in 1905.{{sfn|Whitcher|1966|p=61}} He was "in favour of the referendum and an elective Executive".{{cite book |title = The Cyclopedia of New Zealand: industrial, descriptive, historical, biographical facts, figures, illustrations |place = Wellington, [N.Z.] |publisher = Cyclopedia Co. |year = 1902 |page=98}} He immediately earned a reputation as a left-wing among Liberals and was kept out of the cabinet by Seddon, who though he would have made a good minister but for his belief in the single tax.{{DNZB|Rogers |Frank |2f17|Fowlds, George|28 December 2013}}

Seddon's successor, Sir Joseph Ward, appointed Fowlds to the cabinet on condition he hold in abeyance some of his more radical views. He was appointed Minister of Education and Minister of Public Health in 1906 before dropping the health portfolio in 1909 when he was instead designated Minister of Customs and Minister of Immigration.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=74}}

He resigned from Cabinet in September 1911 over the single tax issue.{{sfn|Gustafson|1980|p=156}} He stayed in Parliament so he could remain a private member until there was "a truly democratic party in a position to form a government".{{cite news |title = New Zealand Parliamentary Debates |volume = 155 |pages = 256–258 |year = 1911}} His resignation from the ministry was seen as a contributing factor to the fall of the Liberal government in 1912. In 1911, Fowlds introduced the Proportional Representation And Effective Voting Bill (86–1).{{cite web|title=Parliamentary Voting Systems in New Zealand and the Referendum on MMP|url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/research-papers/document/00PLLawRP11031/parliamentary-voting-systems-in-new-zealand-and-the-referendum|website=New Zealand Parliament|access-date=18 September 2017}}{{cite web|title=Proportional Representation And Effective Voting Bill 1911 (86–1)|url=http://www.nzlii.org/nz/legis/hist_bill/praevb1911861522/|website=New Zealand Legal Information Institute|access-date=18 September 2017}} However, this bill failed to be passed into law.

Fowlds stood as an Independent Liberal Labour candidate for Grey Lynn in the 1911 election. He then became involved in the task of creating a moderate Labour Party in New Zealand and was a high-profile attendee of the Labour Unity Conferences. He joined the United Labour Party (ULP) and was chairman of the Auckland ULP from 1912 to 1913. At the next election in 1914 he contested Grey Lynn again as the ULP candidate. But, in 1919, he was again a Liberal.{{sfn|Gustafson|1961|pp=299–300}} After his third consecutive defeat he withdrew from politics and devoted himself to education governance.{{sfn|Gustafson|1980|p=156}}

Fowlds then became president of Auckland University College.{{sfn|Gustafson|1980|p=156}} He was the first chairman of Massey Agricultural College from 1927 to 1934.{{cite web|title=Past Officers and Members of the Council and {{as written|Hono|urary [sic]}} Graduates |url=https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/calendar/2011-calendar/officers-and-staff-of-the-university/past-officers-and-members-of-the-council.cfm |publisher=Massey University |access-date=22 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525224312/https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/calendar/2011-calendar/officers-and-staff-of-the-university/past-officers-and-members-of-the-council.cfm |archive-date=25 May 2015 }}

He died on 17 August 1934 at Auckland and was survived by his wife.

Fowlds was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1919, and appointed a Knight Bachelor, for public services, in the 1928 King's Birthday Honours.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=197}}{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19280604.2.80 |title=Birthday honours |date=4 June 1928 |work=Otago Daily Times |page=12 |access-date=13 March 2021}}

The personal papers of Sir George Fowlds are housed in [http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/manuscripts-and-archives/ Special Collections] at the University of Auckland Library. The extensive collection covers political, personal, business and social matters and includes letters, newspaper clippings, speech drafts, articles, sermons, accounts books, photographs and cartoons.

Fowlds Park was named after him in 1933.

One of his sons, William Forrest Fowlds, was a member of the Auckland City Council from 1941 to 1947.{{cite book |last=Bush |first=Graham |date=1971 |title=Decently and in order: the Government of the City of Auckland, 1840-1971 |publisher=Auckland City Council |isbn=9780002111676 |page=586 }}

{{refbegin}}

• {{citation |title = Education portfolio: claims of Mr F.E. Baume and Sir George Fowlds |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = n.p. |year = c. 1941|title-link = Frederick Baume }}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = A political address to the electors of the City of Auckland: delivered in the City Hall, Auckland on September 29, 1896 |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = H. Brett, General Printer |year = 1896}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = The ethics of the land question: an address delivered at the Congregational Union, Wellington, February, 1896 |place = Wellington, [N.Z.] |publisher = Edwards, Russell & Co. |year = 1896}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = Progress towards unity: an address delivered from the chair of the Congregational Union of New Zealand at Dunedin, February, 1899 |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Printed by H. Brett |year = 1899}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = Paper on party government, read at the National Council of Women of New Zealand, held at Dunedin, May 1900. |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Abel, Dykes & Co. |year = 1900}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = The true policy for the Liberal Party in New Zealand by Onlooker. |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Wright & Jacques, newspaper and general printers |year = 1902}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = The worker and his wages: an address |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Wright & Jacques, newspaper and general printers |year = 1902}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = Geo. Fowlds, social reformer: candidate for Grey Lynn, 1905. |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Observer Printing Works |year = 1905}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = Education Act Amendment Bill: speeches delivered in Parliament on the 27th August, the 8th September, and the 6th and the 7th October, 1908 |place = Wellington, [N.Z.] |publisher = Government Printer |year = 1908}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = Pre-sessional address : the Hon. George Fowlds at Grey Lynn, interestin political speech : an enshusiastic [i.e enthusiastic] meeting |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Printed at Star Office |year = 1910}}

:*This is reprinted from the Auckland Star of 3 June 1910.

• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = The new Evangel: an address |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = N.Z. Land Values League |year = 1911}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = Practical politics for the people: evolution v. revolution : an appeal to wageworkers and employers, to capitalists and professional men, to exploiters and exploited |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = N.Z. Land Values League |year = 1913}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = The drift towards anarchy: its cause and its cure: the church's neglected duty |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Wright & Jacques, General Printers |year = 1914}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = To the electors of Grey Lynn: Hon. Geo. Fowlds, formerly Minister of Education and Public Health |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Observer Print. Works |year = 1914}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = To the electors of Grey Lynn: Hon. Geo. Fowlds, the progressive Liberal and Labour candidate |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Wright & Jaques, Printers |year = 1914}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = Six o'clock closing: Auckland business men's deputation to the Right Hon. W.F. Massey, P.C. (Premier N.Z.) 29 May 1916 / addresses by Geo. Fowlds and A.J. Entrican. |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Wright & Jaques, Printers |year = 1916|title-link = William Massey }}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = Is New Zealand a democracy? |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |work = Eden Gazette|year = c. 1917}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = Manual of chairmanship |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Auckland Branch, Workers' Educational Association |year = 1918}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = The single tax: a Rotarian Club address / by Geo. Fowlds |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Wright & Jaques, Printers |year = 1922}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = Taxation and commerce / retiring address of the Hon. George Fowlds, C.B.E. as president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Thursday, February 8th, 1922 |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Wright & Jaques, Printers |year = 1923}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = Planning Auckland for to-morrow / Geo. Fowlds. |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Eden Gazette Print |year = c. 1925}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = A review of the past decade [Bulletin (Auckland University College) ; no. 11. : Bulletin (Auckland University College). Administrative series ; no. 1.] |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Auckland University College |year = 1930}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = President's address [at fiftieth jubilee of College] |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Auckland University College |year = 1933}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = Princess or prisoner? / by Geo. M. Fowlds |place = n.p. |publisher = n.p. |year = 1956}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = Reminiscences of South Africa and New Zealand |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = G. Fowlds |year = 1964}}
• {{citation |first = George |last = Fowlds |title = Opinions on the war |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = George Hunt & Co., for the Trades, Labour and Friendly Societies' Carnival Queen Committee |year = 1915 |display-authors = 1 |author2 = }}

{{refend}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{citation |title = A story of progress! |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Cleave Ltd., Typ |year = 1913}}

:*This is reprinted from the N.Z. Town and Country Life of 25 June 1913.

• {{citation |title = Leaders of the trade: the Hon. George Fowlds, C.B.E. |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Brett Printing Co. |year = 1921 |author1 = H.R.}}

:*This is reprinted from the New Zealand draper of 30 November 1921.

• {{citation |first = James |last = Barr |title = The late Sir George Fowlds, Kt., C.B.E.: distinguished New Zealand statesman, notable native of Fenwick Parish / tributes by James Barr and others. |place = Kilmarnock, [Scotland] |work = Kilmarnock Standard|year = 1936}}
• {{citation |first = Allan George |last = Coulam |title = The life and work of the Hon. Sir George Fowlds, Kt., C.B.E., with special reference to his educational activities |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Harvison & Seymour |year = 1947}}

:* This is a version of an undated M.A. thesis from the University of Auckland.

• {{citation |editor-first = J. Kirkwood |editor-last = Fairlie |title = Matthew Fowlds, centenarian weaver, 1806–1907, and other Fenwick worthies: with brief histories of the martyrs and covenanters of Fenwick, the Secession Church, and the Weavers' Society |place = Kilmarnock, [Scotland] |work = Kilmarnock Standard|year = 1910}}
• {{Cite book |last=Hamer |first=David A. |author-link=D. A. Hamer |title=The New Zealand Liberals: The Years of Power, 1891–1912 |year=1988 |place=Auckland |publisher=Auckland University Press |isbn=1-86940-014-3 |oclc=18420103 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/newzealandlibera0000hame }}
• {{citation |first = Frank |last = Rogers |title = The Fowlds papers: an inventory of the Sir George Fowlds collection |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = University of Auckland Library |year = 1964}}
• {{citation |first = Frank |last = Rogers |title = The Fowlds papers index of correspondents and subjects 1878–1934 |place = Auckland, [N.Z.] |publisher = Archives Press |year = 1980}}
• {{citation |first = Herbert Otto |last = Roth |title = 'FOWLDS, Sir George', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966. Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 18-Sep-2007 |url = http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/1966/F/FowldsSirGeorge/en |access-date = 2008-05-17}}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Wood |editor-first=G. Anthony |title=Ministers and Members: In the New Zealand Parliament |year=1996 |publisher=Otago University Press |location=Dunedin}}

{{refend}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|George Fowlds}}

• {{Cite thesis |first = Barry |last = Gustafson |author-link = Barry Gustafson |title = The Advent of the NZ Labour Party, 1910–1919 |type=masters thesis |publisher=University of Auckland |year=1961}}
• {{cite book

| editor-last = Scholefield

| editor-first = Guy

| editor-link = Guy Scholefield

| title = A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : A–L

| volume = I

| year = 1940

| publisher = Department of Internal Affairs

| location = Wellington

| url = https://www.nzhistory.net.nz/files/documents/dnzb-1940/scholefield-dnzb-v1.pdf

| access-date = 28 December 2013

}}

• {{cite book|first=Barry|last=Gustafson|author-link=Barry Gustafson |title=Labour's path to political independence: The Origins and Establishment of the New Zealand Labour Party, 1900–19|place=Auckland, New Zealand|publisher=Auckland University Press|year=1980|isbn=0-19-647986-X}}
• {{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year=First published in 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher=V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc= 154283103}}
• {{Cite thesis |first = G. F. |last = Whitcher |title = The New Liberal Party 1905 |type=masters thesis (hons) |publisher=University of Canterbury |year=1966}}

• {{Internet Archive author |sname=George Fowlds}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-par|nz}}

{{s-bef | before = James Job Holland
William Crowther
Thomas Thompson}}

{{s-ttl | title=Member of Parliament for City of Auckland | years=1899–1902 | alongside = William Napier, William Crowther, Joseph Witheford}}

{{s-aft | after = Frederick Baume
Joseph Witheford
Alfred Kidd}}

{{s-new | constituency}}

{{s-ttl | title=Member of Parliament for Grey Lynn | years=1902–1911}}

{{s-aft | after = John Payne}}

{{s-off}}

{{s-bef | before = Sir Joseph Ward}}

{{s-ttl | title = Minister of Health | years=1906–1909}}

{{s-aft | after = David Buddo}}

{{s-bef | before = William Hall-Jones}}

{{s-ttl | title = Minister of Education | years=1906–1911}}

{{s-aft | after = Josiah Hanan}}

{{s-bef | before = James McGowan}}

{{s-ttl | title = Minister of Immigration | years=1909–1911}}

{{s-aft | after = George Warren Russell}}

{{s-bef | before = Alexander Hogg}}

{{s-ttl | title = Minister of Customs | years=1909–1911}}

{{s-aft | after = Roderick McKenzie}}

{{end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fowlds, George}}

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