William Montgomery (New Zealand)

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For his son the MP for Ellesmere see William Hugh Montgomery

William John Alexander Montgomery (c.1821–21 December 1914) was a New Zealand politician from Akaroa, Canterbury, and a merchant.

He represented Akaroa in the 5th, 6th 7th, 8th & 9th New Zealand parliaments from 1874 to 1897, when he was defeated.

He was recognised as the leader of the Young New Zealand Party, a reformist and left-leaning faction in Parliament which was supported by small businessmen, small farmers, and the Labour movement (particularly miners), and which grew into the Liberal Party. He served briefly as the Minister of Education in the 1884 Stout-Vogel Ministry, but unselfishly stood aside when Stout needed to give ministeries to Auckland members to continue in power.

He is not to be confused with his son William Hugh Montgomery who represented Ellesmere.

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