Ted Meachen

Meachen was born in Whanganui in 1895. He was educated at Christchurch Marist Brothers' School and worked as a builder afterwards. During World War I he served in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He fought in Gallipoli and France and was wounded twice.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|pp=290}}

He resumed building after the war and also represented Mid-Canterbury at rugby union (1921–23) and Canterbury at rugby league (1924). He then moved to the King Country and was employed by the Ministry of Works building bridges and houses for railways. During this time he became active in the New Zealand Workers' Union and joined the Labour Party. In 1930 he relocated to Marlborough to construct a railway camp at Wharanui.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|pp=290-1}}

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{{NZ parlbox

|start = {{NZ election link year|1935}}

|end = 1938

|term = 25th

|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Wairau}}

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1938}}

|end = 1943

|term = 26th

|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Marlborough}}

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1943}}

|end = 1946

|term = 27th

|electorate = Marlborough

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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He represented the Marlborough electorates of Wairau from 1935 to 1938, and then Marlborough from 1938 to 1946 when he was defeated.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|pp=219}} He first stood for Wairau in 1931.

Meachen was Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Works from 1945 to 1946.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|pp=84}}

He was the Mayor of Blenheim from 1953 to 1962 and Chairman of the Marlborough Catchment Board from its inception in 1955 until his death 1970.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|pp=291}} He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the community, particularly to local government, in the 1968 Queen's Birthday Honours.{{London Gazette |issue=44602 |date=8 June 1968 |page=6340 |supp=3}}

Meachen died in 1970 and was buried at Omaka Cemetery, Blenheim.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|pp=291}}{{cite web |url=http://www.marlborough.govt.nz/Services/Cemeteries/Search.aspx?id=7110&plotid=7797 |title=Cemetery records search |date= |website= |publisher=Marlborough District Council |access-date=1 March 2015}}

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• Who’s Who in New Zealand (1961, 7th edition)
• {{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-date=First published in 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher= V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc= 154283103 }}
• {{cite book |last=Gustafson |first=Barry |author-link=Barry Gustafson |title=From the Cradle to the Grave: a biography of Michael Joseph Savage |year=1986 |publisher=Reed Methuen |location=Auckland |isbn=0-474-00138-5}}

{{S-start}}

{{S-par | nz}}

{{S-bef | before = Edward Healy}}

{{S-ttl | title = Member of Parliament for Wairau|years=1935–1938 }}

{{S-non | reason = Constituency abolished }}

{{S-new | constituency}}

{{S-ttl | title = Member of Parliament for Marlborough|years=1938–1946 }}

{{S-aft | after = Tom Shand }}

{{s-off}}

{{s-bef | before = Bert Mitchell }}

{{s-ttl | title = Mayor of Blenheim|years=1953–1962}}

{{s-aft | after = Sid Harling}}

{{end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meachen, Edwin}}

Category:New Zealand Labour Party MPs

Category:1895 births

Category:1970 deaths

Category:People from Whanganui

Category:Mayors of Blenheim, New Zealand

Category:New Zealand MPs for South Island electorates

Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1951 New Zealand general election

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1946 New Zealand general election

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1931 New Zealand general election

Category:New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Burials at Omaka Cemetery

Category:New Zealand military personnel of World War I

Category:New Zealand justices of the peace