William Gibbs (New Zealand politician)

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1873–1875 5th Collingwood Independent
1875–1879 6th Collingwood Independent
1879–1881 7th Collingwood Independent

William Gibbs (1819 or 1820 – 7 November 1896) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament from the Nelson Region of New Zealand.

Gibbs migrated to New Zealand in 1851 and purchased a large block of land at Tōtaranui. Much of this land is now incorporated into the Abel Tasman National Park. He completed a large homestead there for his wife and eight children, where they lived until moving to Nelson in 1892 when Gibbs retired.[1]

His daughter Hannah Sarah Gibbs married Alexander Mackay at Collingwood in 1863.[2]

He narrowly lost (by three votes) the 1868 by-election for Collingwood.

He represented the Collingwood electorate from 1873 to 1881, when he was defeated for Motueka.[3] His son W. B. Gibbs stood in the Nelson electorate in the 1887 election, but came third against Henry Levestam and Jesse Piper.[4][5]

The town of Collingwood was originally called Gibbstown after Gibbs.

Gibbs died aged 76 at his home in Nelson on 7 November 1896,[6] and was buried at Wakapuaka Cemetery.[7]

  1. ^ Nelson and Totaranui, Constance Astley's Trip to New Zealand, 1897-1898, Constance Astley, Victoria University Press, 1997, page 14 ISBN 0864733208, 9780864733207
  2. ^ Armstrong, David A. "Alexander Mackay". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  3. ^ Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 199. OCLC 154283103.
  4. ^ "The City Election". Nelson Evening Mail. Vol. XXI, no. 222. 19 September 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  5. ^ "The General Election, 1887". National Library. 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  6. ^ "Death". The Colonist. 9 November 1896. p. 2. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Cemeteries database". Nelson City Council. Retrieved 31 January 2016.