Charles Hall (New Zealand politician)

Charles Hall (1843–1937) was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand. He represented the Waipawa electorate from 1893 to 1896 when he was defeated, then from 1899 to 1911 when he retired.^[1]

Biography

Early life

Hall was born at Malton, Yorkshire in 1843.^[2] His first wife, Eliza died in her youth leaving Hall a widower. They had one child, a daughter. Hall decided to shift to New Zealand and arrived at Napier in the ship Countess of Kintore in 1875 and entered the building trade upon arrival. Hall started up trade in Napier where he married Marian Dinsdale in 1878, the marriage issued two children one daughter and one son. He was keenly interested in land settlemrnt and in 1880 took up a bush section in northern Manawatu. His family's home was destroyed in a bush fire and he and his family moved to Woodville where he again entered the building trade.^[2]

Due to his active interest in land settlement, he assisted in the settlement of the Hall and Malton blocks near Woodville and was also an original selector in the Mangahao block, near Pahiatua.^[2] Due to his service in land settlements he was appointed by the government to serve as a selector for government land subdivisions.^[3]

Political career

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1893–1896	12th	Waipawa		Liberal
1899–1902	14th	Waipawa		Liberal
1902–1905	15th	Waipawa		Liberal
1905–1908	16th	Waipawa		Liberal
1908–1911	17th	Waipawa		Liberal

Hall had a long, and active public life. He started his career locally holding many civil authority positions, serving as the Mayor of Woodville, chairman of the Waipawa County Council, District Coroner, a member of the Waipawa Licensing Committee and a member of the Hawke's Bay Education Board.^[2]

In 1893 Hall was elected to Parliament as MP for Waipawa as the Liberal Party candidate. At the next election he lost his seat to the Conservative candidate George Hunter. In 1899 he won the seat back and would retain it until the 1911 election when he chose to retire from national politics.^[3]

Notes

1. Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 202. OCLC 154283103.
2. "Obituary". Evening Post. CXXIII (127). 31 May 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
3. Hamer 1988, p. 363.

References

• Hamer, David A. (1988). The New Zealand Liberals: The Years of Power, 1891–1912. Auckland: Auckland University Press. ISBN 1-86940-014-3.