Eric Halstead

Halstead was born in Auckland in 1912, and educated at Auckland Grammar School and Auckland University where he attained a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Commerce. He was president of the Auckland University Students' Association for one year.[1] In 1940, he married Millicent Joan Stewart; they had four children.

He served as a major in the NZEF during World War II between 1941 and 1945.[1]

After being demobilized he became a teacher and was head of the commerce and accountancy department at Seddon Technical College from 1945 to 1949.[1]

He represented the Tamaki electorate from 1949 to 1957, when he was defeated by Bob Tizard.[2] He held several cabinet posts during the last term of the First National Government including; Minister for Social Security from 1954 to 1956,Minister of Industries and Commerce and Minister for Customs from 1956 to 1957.[3] He was the minister assisting the Prime Minister in 1954, a role in which Halstead often found his time occupied by delivering messages between the Prime Minister Sidney Holland and the Deputy Prime Minister Keith Holyoake.[4]

Halstead remained an active member of the National Party. He was a longtime member of the party's Dominion Council, deputy-chairman of National's Auckland division and vice-president of the party.[5]

After his defeat in 1957 Halstead became a director of Air New Zealand.[1]

He later served as Ambassador to Thailand and Laos 1970–1973,[6][1] then Ambassador to Italy and Ambassador to Iraq concurrently from 1976–1980[7] and Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (while resident in Rome) 1977–1980.

In the 1980 New Year Honours, Halstead was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.[1][8]

In 1989, a book put together by Halstead, entitled Freyberg's Men, was refused permission to be published by the New Zealand Government because it bore too close a resemblance to copyright material originally published by the New Zealand Army Board and War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs.[9]

He died in Auckland in 1991.