| Walter Clarke Buchanan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 June 1838 |
| Died | 19 July 1924 (aged 86) |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Occupation | politician, farmer |
Sir Walter Clarke Buchanan (20 June 1838 – 19 July 1924) was a New Zealand politician who became a member of the Reform Party that formed in 1909.
Contents |
Buchanan was born in Kilmodan, Argyllshire, Scotland, attended Greenock Academy,[1] and moved to Australia at the age of 18, where he became a farmer. Around 1863 he moved to New Zealand.[2]
|
|
||||
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 1881–1884 | 8th | Wairarapa South | Independent | |
| 1884–1887 | 9th | Wairarapa South | Independent | |
| 1887–1890 | 10th | Wairarapa | Independent | |
| 1890–1893 | 11th | Wairarapa | Independent | |
| 1893–1896 | 12th | Wairarapa | Independent | |
| 1896–1899 | 13th | Wairarapa | Independent | |
| 1902–1905 | 15th | Wairarapa | Independent | |
| 1908–1909 | 17th | Wairarapa | Independent | |
| 1909–1911 | Changed allegiance to: | Reform | ||
| 1911–1914 | 18th | Wairarapa | Reform | |
Buchanan entered politics in 1881, representing first Wairarapa South from 1881 to 1887, and then Wairarapa from 1887 to 1899, 1902 to 1905 and 1908 to 1914. He was in Parliament for much of the next 33 years, losing three elections.[3]
He lost Wairarapa to John Hornsby, the frequent Liberal Party candidate for the electorate, in 1899, won it back in 1902, lost it in 1905 and won it back in 1908. He finally lost the seat to Hornsby in 1914.[4]
In the House, he was a staunch conservative voice, and a diehard opponent of the Liberal government of Richard Seddon.
Buchanan was knighted in 1913[3] and appointed to the Legislative Council in 1915, where he served until his death on 19 July 1924.[5] Despite his long experience in politics, he was never appointed a Minister[3] (partly because the Liberal Party was in power as from 1891 to 1914).