George Vesey Stewart

{{Short description|New Zealand farmer, coloniser and local politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2016}}

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George Vesey Stewart (1832–1920) was a New Zealand farmer, coloniser and local politician. He was born in Brighton, Sussex, England in about 1832.{{DNZB|Rorke|Jinty|2s45|George Vesey Stewart|1 December 2011}}

He was a member of the Orange Order, and recruited settlers for his colonial project in Katikati from Orange Order members in Ulster.{{cite news |title=Lodge hall silent witness to events of past |url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/lodge-hall-silent-witness-to-events-of-past/FJOIMYELFH4SQ2GR64YW7OPXN4/ |access-date=26 September 2023 |work=Bay of Plenty Times |date=25 August 2010}}

The {{NZ election link|1881}} in the newly formed {{NZ electorate link|Tauranga}} electorate was hotly contested. Four candidates were nominated: George Morris, who had previously represented the {{NZ electorate link|East Coast}} electorate; Stewart, then the owner of the Bay of Plenty Times; William Kelly, who had also previously represented the East Coast electorate; and Henry Thomas Rowe, a surveyor and commission agent.{{cite news |title=Nomination of Candidates for the Tauranga Electorate |date=30 November 1881 |volume=X |issue=1152 |newspaper=Bay of Plenty Times |url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=BOPT18811130.2.26 |accessdate=28 November 2013 |page=2}} Rowe announced his retirement from the contest on 6 December three days out from election day, urging his supporters to vote for Stewart instead.{{cite news |title=The Bay of Plenty Times |date=7 December 1881 |volume=X |issue=1158 |newspaper=Bay of Plenty Times |url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=BOPT18811207.2.4 |accessdate=30 November 2013 |page=2}} The unofficial results were released the day after the election (on Saturday, 10 December) and Morris had a majority of 13 votes over Stewart, with the official declaration to be made on 12 December.{{cite news |title=The Bay of Plenty Times |date=10 December 1881 |volume=X |issue=1161 |newspaper=Bay of Plenty Times |url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=BOPT18811210.2.5 |accessdate=30 November 2013 |page=2}} This was deferred until 14 December, with Morris ahead by 10 votes.{{cite news |title=Declaration of the Poll for the Tauranga Electorate |date=14 December 1881 |volume=X |issue=1164 |newspaper=Bay of Plenty Times |url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=BOPT18811214.2.6 |accessdate=30 November 2013 |page=2}} Stewart stood for the Tauranga mayoralty a few months later and was elected the town's first mayor.

Stewart stood in the {{NZ election link|1893}} in the {{NZ electorate link|Bay of Plenty}} electorate as an independent and came a distant fourth.{{cite book |title=The General Election, 1893 |year=1894 |publisher=Government Printer |url= http://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&cl=search&d=AJHR1894-I.2.3.2.21 |accessdate=19 November 2013 |page=1}}

His brother's wife was Adela Blanche Stewart, who wrote the book My Simple Life in New Zealand.