George Sykes (New Zealand politician)
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George Robert Sykes (18 November 1867 – 23 March 1957) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for the Masterton electorate in the North Island.
Member of Parliament
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911–1914 | 18th | Masterton | Reform | ||
| 1914–1919 | 19th | Masterton | Reform | ||
| 1919–1922 | 20th | Masterton | Independent | ||
| 1922–1925 | 21st | Masterton | Reform | ||
| 1925–1928 | 22nd | Masterton | Reform | ||
| 1928–1931 | 23rd | Masterton | Reform | ||
| 1931–1935 | 24th | Masterton | Reform | ||
George Sykes represented the Masterton electorate in the New Zealand House of Representatives for 24 years from 1911 to 1935.[1]
Sykes was a member of the Reform Party, but in 1919 successfully stood as an Independent for Masterton,[2][3] whilst some commentators questioned whether the independent Reform candidates in 1919 were not just trying to attract votes from the 'unwary'.[4] In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[5] He was awarded a Coronation Medal in 1937.[6]
Outside politics
When he left school he was a telegraph messenger and operator, then he became a farmer and breeder of Romney sheep.[7] After his defeat in the 1935 election, he was an organiser for the National Party until he retired in 1942.[8]
Sykes died on 23 March 1957, aged 89, and was buried in the historic Christ Church in Taitā, Hutt Valley. A memorial to him was erected in the Archer Street Cemetery, Masterton on 31 July 1957.[9]
Notes
- ^ Wilson 1985, p. 238.
- ^ Wood 1996, p. 103.
- ^ "G. R. Sykes". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. 45, no. 14003. 13 December 1919. p. 4. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ "The Battle of the Ballots". NZ Truth. No. 756. 13 December 1919. p. 7. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ "Official jubilee medals". Evening Post. Vol. CXIX, no. 105. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
- ^ Taylor, p. 1030
- ^ "Masterton". The Evening Post. Vol. XCVIII, no. 142. 13 December 1919. p. 5. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ Obituary in The Evening Post 25 March 1957
- ^ "Cemetery Archives Inquiries". Masterton District Council. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
References
- Wood, G. Anthony, ed. (1996). Ministers and Members: In the New Zealand Parliament. Dunedin: Otago University Press.
- Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.