Ernest Lee facts for kids
Ernest Page Lee (born August 27, 1862 – died February 19, 1932) was an important person in New Zealand. He was a lawyer and a politician. He belonged to a group called the Reform Party.
Ernest Lee's Early Life and Education
Ernest Lee was born in 1862 in a town called Teignmouth, England. He went to school in Cheltenham and London. When he was 18, he started learning to be a lawyer. He worked at a law firm in the west of England.
In 1885, he became a qualified lawyer in England. A year later, he moved to New Zealand. He settled in a town called Oamaru. There, he first worked as a clerk in a law firm. Later, he started his own law firm called Lee, Grave and Grave. In 1895, he married Miss de Lambert. His sister, Leah Lee, was married to a famous French poet named Jules Laforgue.
Ernest Lee's Political Career in New Zealand
Ernest Lee was elected to the Oamaru Borough Council. This council helped manage the local town. He then decided to become a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP represents a specific area, called an electorate, in the country's government.
In the 1911 election, he won the seat for the Oamaru electorate. He beat the person who was already the MP, Thomas Young Duncan. Ernest Lee represented Oamaru in Parliament until 1922.
In the 1922 election, he lost his seat. The election result for Oamaru was later cancelled because of some problems. So, there was another election in 1923. But Ernest Lee lost again to John Andrew MacPherson, who was from the Liberal Party.
However, Ernest Lee didn't give up! He ran again in the 1925 election. This time, he won back the Oamaru seat from John MacPherson. But in the 1928 election, he lost it to MacPherson once more.
During his time in Parliament, Ernest Lee also held important jobs as a minister. He was the Minister of Justice from 1920 to 1923. This role meant he was in charge of the country's legal system. He was also the Minister of External Affairs. This job involved dealing with other countries. Lastly, he was the Minister of Industries and Commerce, helping with New Zealand's businesses and trade. These roles were part of the Reform Government.
Ernest Lee's Life Outside Politics
Outside of his political work, Ernest Lee had other interests. He started the North Otago Jockey Club. This club was likely involved with horse racing.
He was also a very good mountaineer. He climbed many tall mountains in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Sadly, he had a seizure while he was on Lake Wakatipu. He passed away three weeks later, on February 19, 1932, in Queenstown. His wife survived him.
