Eric Halstead

Eric Henry Halstead CBE ED (26 May 1912 – 18 June 1991) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party and later a diplomat.


Eric Halstead

Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Tamaki
In office
30 November 1949  30 November 1957
Preceded byTom Skinner
Succeeded byBob Tizard
Personal details
Born26 May 1912
Mangaweka, New Zealand
Died18 June 1991
Auckland, New Zealand
Political partyNational
Spouse(s)
Millicent Joan Stewart
(m. 1940)
Alma materAuckland University

Biography

Early life and career

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]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
19491951 29th Tamaki National
19511954 30th Tamaki National
19541957 31st Tamaki National

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]

Diplomatic career

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.

Later life and death

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.

Notes

  1. Gustafson 1986, p. 317.
  2. Wilson 1985, p. 202.
  3. Lambert & Palenski: The New Zealand Almanac, 1982. ISBN 0-908570-55-4
  4. Gustafson 1986, pp. 69-70.
  5. Gustafson 1986, pp. 230, 317.
  6. New Zealand Heads of Overseas Missions - NZ Ministry of Fopreign Affairs and Trade
  7. New Zealand Heads of Overseas Missions - NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  8. "No. 48043". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 31 December 1979. p. 26.
  9. Gavin, McLean (2007). Whare Raupo. NZ: Reed. p. 229.

References

  • Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
Political offices
Preceded by
William Bodkin
Minister for Social Security
1954–1956
Succeeded by
Dean Eyre
Preceded by
Dean Eyre
Minister of Customs
1956–1957
Succeeded by
Ray Boord
Minister of Industries and Commerce
1956–1957
Succeeded by
Phil Holloway
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
Tom Skinner
Member of Parliament for Tamaki
1949–1957
Succeeded by
Bob Tizard
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