| The Honourable Dr Isaac Featherston |
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| Isaac Featherston | |
| 7th Colonial Secretary | |
| In office 12 July 1861 – 2 August 1861 |
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| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Wanganui and Rangitikei |
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| In office 24 May 1854 – 9 August 1855 |
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| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for City of Wellington |
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| In office 1855–1858 |
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| In office 1858–1870 |
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| 1st Superintendent of Wellington Province | |
| In office 2 July 1853 – 23 April 1858 |
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| In office 28 June 1858 – 14 March 1870 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 March 1813 Newcastle upon Tyne England |
| Died | 19 June 1876 (aged 63) Hove England |
Dr. Isaac Earl Featherston (21 March 1813 – 19 June 1876) was a New Zealand politician, and was known for his advocacy for the establishment of New Zealand self-government, and the importance of the provincial governments.
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Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, he qualified in medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1836. He arrived in Wellington in 1841 on the New Zealand Company ship Olympus.[1]
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| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 1853–1855 | 1st | Wanganui and Rangitikei | Independent | |
| 1855–1858 | 2nd | Town of Wellington | Independent | |
| 1858–1860 | 2nd | Town of Wellington | Independent | |
| 1860–1866 | 3rd | City of Wellington | Independent | |
| 1866–1870 | 4th | City of Wellington | Independent | |
He served in the first, second, third, and fourth Parliaments. He represented the Wanganui and Rangitikei electorate in the first parliament until he resigned on 9 August 1855, and then represented the City of Wellington electorate in the second, third and fourth parliaments. In 1858, he resigned his seat in Parliament[2] and his Wellington superintendency, apparently wanting to return to England. Instead, he successfully stood for re-election in both positions within months.[1]
He was Colonial Secretary (forerunner to the modern Minister of Internal Affairs) in 1861, and a Minister without Portfolio from 1869 to 1871, having been appointed in both instances by William Fox.
He was also heavily involved in the politics of Wellington Province. He was elected unopposed as the first Superintendent from 1853.[1] He resigned from this post on 23 April 1858.[3] He was re-elected on 28 June 1858[3] and held the post until 1870.[1]
From 1871 he was the first Agent-General for the colony in London, the precursor to the High Commissioner.[4]
A duel on 24 March 1847 was fought in Wellington between Colonel William Wakefield and Featherston (who was Wakefields's doctor) over a newspaper editorial of Featherston on the New Zealand Company land policy which questioned Wakefield’s honesty. Featherston fired and missed. Then Wakefield fired into the air, saying he would not shoot a man with seven daughters.[5]
The town of Featherston in the Wairarapa is named after him, as is Featherston Street in Wellington.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| New office | Superintendent of Wellington Province 1853–1858 1858–1870 |
Succeeded by William Fitzherbert |
| Preceded by Edward Stafford |
Colonial Secretary 1861 |
Succeeded by William Fox |
| Parliament of New Zealand | ||
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Wanganui and Rangitikei 1853–1855 |
Constituency abolished |
| Preceded by Robert Hart, James Kelham and Charles Clifford |
Member of Parliament for Wellington 1855–1870 Served alongside: Charles Clifford, William Waring Taylor, William Fitzherbert, William Barnard Rhodes and Charles Borlase |
Succeeded by George Hunter, Edward Pearce |