Edward Gibbon Wakefield | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of New Zealand Parliament for Hutt | |
| In office 1853–1855 | |
| Succeeded by | Dillon Bell |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Beauharnois | |
| In office 1842–1844 (by-election) | |
| Preceded by | John William Dunscomb |
| Succeeded by | Eden Colvile |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 March 1796 London, Great Britain |
| Died | 16 May 1862 (aged 66) Wellington, New Zealand |
| Political party | Province of Canada: French-Canadian Group, then "British" Group New Zealand: Independent |
| Spouse |
Eliza Pattle
(m. 1816; died 1820) |
| Children | 1 daughter, 1 son: Jerningham Wakefield |
Edward Gibbon Wakefield (20 March 1796 – 16 May 1862) was a British criminal who became a politician in colonial Canada and New Zealand. He is considered a key figure in the establishment of the colonies of South Australia and New Zealand (where he later served as a member of parliament). He also had significant interests in British North America, being involved in the drafting of Lord Durham's Report and being a member of the Parliament of the Province of Canada for a short time.
He was best known for his colonisation scheme, sometimes referred to as the Wakefield scheme or the Wakefield system, which aimed to populate the new colony of South Australia with a workable combination of labourers, tradespeople, artisans and capital. The scheme was to be financed by the sale of land to the capitalists who would thereby support the other classes of emigrants.
Despite being imprisoned for three years in 1827 for kidnapping a fifteen-year-old girl in Britain, he enjoyed a lengthy career in colonial governments and colonial policy.