Goosman in 1950

Sir William Stanley Goosman KCMG (2 July 1890 – 10 June 1969) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party and a road-haulier and contractor.

Biography

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1938–1943 26th Waikato National
1943–1946 27th Waikato National
1946–1949 28th Piako National
1949–1951 29th Piako National
1951–1954 30th Piako National
1954–1957 31st Waipa National
1957–1960 32nd Piako National
1960–1963 33rd Piako National

Goosman was born in 1890 at Auckland. William Massey was his uncle. He received his education at Mangere and at the age of 13, he started work on a dairy farm. At age 17, he went to Gisborne and worked in the bush. During the Great Depression,[1] he started a transport business at Waihou, near Te Aroha,[2] which grew into a large company.[1] He was also a roading contractor.[3][4]

He was the Member of Parliament for Waikato 1938–1946, Piako 1946–1954, Waipa 1954–1957, then Piako again 1957–1963, when he retired.[5] When defending the government during the 1951 waterfront lockout, he said, "All I have to say is that if Hitler had to deal with the same thing Hitler talked right."[6]

He was the Minister of Works,[7] Minister of Transport, Minister of Marine, Minister of Housing and Minister of Railways in the First National Government from 1949 to 1954.[8] In those roles, he decided to drop proposals to improve Auckland's rail network and instead focus on motorway building.[9] When opening the first of Auckland's motorways in 1953, he is reported to have said, "My boy, the future of Auckland is with the motor car".[10] One of his first actions as Railway Minister was to raise charges and fares.[11]

Despite carrying six ministerial portfolios in the First National Government, when the Second National Government was formed in 1960 he was offered only the Works portfolio causing him to protest to Keith Holyoake and Jack Marshall (who had concerns about his age at 70) and offered to retire which they dissuaded him from doing. He interpreted it as a vote of no confidence in his abilities and claimed he still had the energy of a much younger man, to settle the issue he was additionally appointed as Minister of Electricity to his satisfaction.[12]

In the 1965 Queen's Birthday Honours, Goosman was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, for political and public services.[5][13] The Stanley Goosman Bridge over the Taramakau River near Jacksons carries his name.[14]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Gustafson 1986, p. 314.
  2. ↑ "The Te Aroha Bridge". New Zealand Herald. 21 August 1925. p. 13. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  3. ↑ Burke, Roy (7 February 2009). "Farmer turned art into a life of subtle hues". Waikato Times. Retrieved 13 October 2018 – via www.pressreader.com.
  4. ↑ Parliament, New Zealand (1953). Parliamentary Debates.
  5. 1 2 Wilson 1985, p. 200.
  6. ↑ Millar, Grace (2013). "Families and the 1951 New Zealand Waterfront Lockout" (PDF). Victoria University.
  7. ↑ "AtoJs Online — Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives — 1950 Session I — D-01 MINISTRY OF WORKS STATEMENT (BY THE HON. W. S. GOOSMAN, MINISTER OF WORKS)". atojs.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  8. ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 86.
  9. ↑ "Sir Dove-Myer Robinson on his Rapid Transit Scheme – Part 4". transportblog.co.nz. 18 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  10. ↑ "Ewan McDonald: Paying for Auckland's public transport". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  11. ↑ "Railways Statement (By the Minister of Railways, Hon. W. S. Goosman) Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives". 1 January 1950.
  12. ↑ Marshall 1989, p. 7.
  13. ↑ "No. 43669". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 12 June 1965. p. 5513.
  14. ↑ "Stanley Goosman Bridge delays this week". Greymouth Star. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2020.

References

  • Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
  • Marshall, Jack (1989). John Marshall Memoirs Volume Two: 1960-1988. Auckland: Collins. ISBN 1-86950-003-2.
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
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