Wilfred Fortune

Wilfred Henry Fortune (9 October 1897 – 28 February 1961) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.

Biography

Fortune was born in 1897 in Paeroa. He received his education at Auckland Grammar School, the Auckland Teachers' Training College, and the University of Auckland. He obtained a B.A., a B.Com., and a diploma in social sciences. He initially worked as a teacher, then became a public secretary, and was then managing director of Young and Fortune Ltd. During World War II, he was a lieutenant colonel with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) in the Pacific.^[1]

As an Independent, he contested the 1940 by-election in the Auckland West electorate resulting from Michael Joseph Savage's death, but was beaten by Labour's Peter Carr.^[1][2] He stood for National in the 1943 election, but was beaten by the incumbent, Labour's Bill Anderton, by only 14 votes. At the subsequent election in 1946, Anderton successfully stood in Auckland Central,^[3] and Fortune was returned in Eden. Fortune held Eden until the 1954 election, when he was defeated for Onslow.^[4] He was a member of the Executive Council from 1949 to 1954 in the First National Government.^[5]

From 1956 until his death, he chaired the National Party in Auckland. His interests lay in education and health, and he was a member of the Auckland Education Board, and the Seddon Memorial Technical College Board of Governors. He was a director of the YMCA, and chaired the Auckland Central Health Camp Council.^[1]

Fortune died on 28 February 1961.^[1]

Notes

References

• Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6. 
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.