William Girling

William Girling

William James Girling CBE (9 March 1882 – 7 September 1973) was a Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1922–1925 21st Wairau Reform
1925–1928 22nd Wairau Reform

He was elected to the Wairau electorate in the 1922 general election, but was defeated in 1928 by Edward Healy of the United Party by a 3% vote margin.[1] He was elected as Mayor of Blenheim and served from 1945 to 1950.[2] For the 1931 election, the Reform and United parties formed a coalition. Part of the agreement was that all incumbents would become the coalition's candidate. Girling stood as an independent in 1931 in opposition to Healy but was again unsuccessful, this time by a 15% vote margin.[3][4]

In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[5] In November 1947, he was elected Grand Master of the Masonic Order in New Zealand.[6]

In the 1950 King's Birthday Honours, Girling was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for public services, especially in the Marlborough provincial district.[7] He was appointed to the Legislative Council on 22 June 1950 as a member of the so-called suicide squad to vote for its abolition.[8] In 1953, Girling was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.[9]

Girling died in 1973 and was buried at Omaka Cemetery, Blenheim.[10]

  1. ^ Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 108.
  2. ^ Brooks, Cynthia (2011). Marlborough celebrating 150 years. Blenheim: Marlborough District Council. p. 494. ISBN 978-1927159026.
  3. ^ "Straight-out independent". Stratford Evening Post. Vol. I, no. 291. 18 November 1931. p. 5. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  4. ^ The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 5. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  5. ^ "Official jubilee medals". The Evening Post. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  6. ^ "Masonic Order". Ashburton Guardian. Vol. 68, no. 28. 13 November 1947. p. 3. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  7. ^ "No. 38931". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 1953. p. 2814.
  8. ^ Wilson, J. O. (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 154.
  9. ^ Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 413. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
  10. ^ "Cemetery records search". Marlborough District Council. Retrieved 1 March 2015.