William Massey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable William Ferguson Massey
Massey in 1919
19th Prime Minister of New Zealand
In office 10 July 1912 – 10 May 1925†
Monarch	George V
Governor-General	John Dickson-Poynder Arthur Foljambe John Jellicoe Charles Fergusson
Preceded by	Thomas Mackenzie
Succeeded by	Sir Francis Bell
5th Leader of the Opposition
In office 11 September 1903 – 10 July 1912
Deputy	James Allen
Preceded by	William Russell
Succeeded by	Joseph Ward
Personal details
Born	(1856-03-26)26 March 1856 Limavady, County Londonderry, Ireland, UK
Died	10 May 1925(1925-05-10) (aged 69) Wellington, New Zealand
Political party	None until February 1909 Reform
Spouse	Christina Allan Paul ​ (m. 1882)​
Children	7, including Walter and Jack
Parents	John Massey Marianne Ferguson
Relatives	Stan Goosman (nephew)

William Ferguson Massey (26 March 1856 – 10 May 1925), also known as Bill Massey, was an important politician in New Zealand. He served as the 19th Prime Minister from 1912 until he died in 1925.

Massey was also the first leader of the Reform Party. This was New Zealand's second major political party, formed in 1909.

He was born in Ireland and moved to New Zealand in 1870. There, he became a farmer near Auckland, which earned him the nickname Farmer Bill. He later became a leader in farmers' groups.

Massey entered parliament in 1894. He was known for supporting farmers and for being against strong worker unions. He promised New Zealand's full support for Britain during the First World War. Massey was the second-longest serving Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Early Life and Moving to New Zealand

William Ferguson Massey was born in 1856 into a farming family. He grew up in Limavady, County Londonderry, which is now part of Northern Ireland. His parents, John and Marianne Massey, were farmers.

In 1862, his family moved to New Zealand. However, William stayed in Ireland for eight more years to finish his schooling. He lived with his grandmother and uncle, attending schools in Limavady and Derry.

He arrived in New Zealand in 1870. Massey worked as a farmhand for several years. In 1876, he bought his own farm in Mangere, south Auckland. In 1882, he married his neighbor's daughter, Christina Allan Paul. They had seven children together.

Starting in Politics

Massey became well-known in his local community. He was involved in the school board, a debating club, and farming groups. Because of this, he started to get involved in political discussions. He often spoke for rural farmers who were against the Liberal Party government.

In 1893, Massey ran for election in the Franklin area but lost. Early in 1894, he won a special election (called a by-election) in the nearby Waitemata area. In the 1896 election, he successfully ran for the Franklin area again. He continued to represent Franklin until his death in 1925.

Becoming Leader of the Opposition

Massey joined other independent Members of Parliament (MPs) who were against the Liberal Party. At first, these MPs were not well-organized. Massey helped bring more energy to this group. He became the "opposition whip," which meant he helped keep the opposition MPs working together.

After the 1899 election, the opposition group lost many seats. For over two years, they didn't have a clear leader. Massey, as chief whip, unofficially led the group. In September 1903, he officially became the Leader of the Opposition.

When Richard Seddon, the Liberal leader, died, Joseph Ward took over. Ward's leadership was not as strong, which gave Massey more chances to criticize the government. Massey often claimed there was unfairness in the government. His conservative ideas also gained support when people worried about strong worker unions and the idea of socialism.

Forming the Reform Party

In February 1909, Massey announced the creation of the Reform Party. He would lead this new party, supported by his conservative colleagues.

In the 1911 election, the Reform Party won more seats than the Liberal Party. However, they did not win enough seats to have a clear majority. The Liberals stayed in power for another year with help from independent MPs. But in 1912, they lost a vote of confidence, meaning they no longer had enough support to govern.

Serving as Prime Minister

Massey and James Allen heading to Bellamy's to celebrate becoming the government. New Zealand Spectator, 13 July 1912.

William Massey became the Prime Minister on 10 July 1912. Soon after, he faced challenges from worker strikes. He responded strongly to strikes by miners and waterfront workers in 1912 and 1913. This made him unpopular with many workers. However, many conservative people supported him, believing his actions were necessary to keep order.

One of the first laws Massey's government passed allowed about 13,000 farmers who rented land from the government to buy their own farms.

The First World War

On 29 June 1918, Massey and Ward visited New Zealand troops in France. This photo shows them arriving in Boulogne, 1918.

The start of the First World War in 1914 changed everything. The 1914 election resulted in a tie in parliament. Neither Massey nor his opponents had enough support to govern alone. So, Massey reluctantly invited Joseph Ward of the Liberal Party to form a special government for wartime, which began in 1915. Massey remained Prime Minister, but Ward shared leadership.

Massey and Ward traveled to Britain several times during and after the war. They discussed how New Zealand could help in the war and later, how to make peace. During his first visit, Massey met New Zealand soldiers. He listened to their complaints and showed sympathy, which upset some military leaders.

The war strengthened Massey's strong belief in the British Empire. He attended the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. There, he signed the Treaty of Versailles on behalf of New Zealand. He received honors from the King of Belgium and the President of France for his work.

Working with the Liberals

Massey speaking to New Zealand machine gunners in France, 30 June 1918.

By the end of the war, the special coalition government was becoming unpopular. Massey was especially concerned about the growing influence of the Labour Party. He also faced criticism from within his own party.

In 1919, he ended the coalition government. He then campaigned for election on ideas like patriotism, stability, supporting farmers, and building public works. He successfully won a clear majority in that election.

Immigration Policies

In 1920, Massey's government passed a law called the Immigration Restriction Amendment Act. This law made it harder for people who were not from Britain or Ireland to move to New Zealand. They had to apply in writing for permission to enter the country. The Minister of Customs could decide if an applicant was "suitable."

Prime Minister William Massey stated that this law was because "a huge majority of the people of this country" wanted New Zealand to be a "white" country.

The Red Scare and Communism

Massey was known for being strongly against Bolshevik and Soviet ideas. He disliked socialist groups in New Zealand, such as the "Red Feds" and the New Zealand Labour Party. As Prime Minister, Massey was against Communist influence. He saw events like the "Red Terror" in the Soviet Union as proof that socialism was oppressive.

Because of these fears, the government passed the War Regulations Continuance Act. This law kept wartime emergency rules, including censorship. It led to a ban on Communist books and writings, which lasted until 1935.

The 1922 Election and Later Life

Portrait of Massey by Sir William Orpen.

Economic problems caused support for the Reform Party to drop. In the 1922 election, Massey lost his clear majority. He had to work with independent MPs to keep his government in power. He was also worried by the success of the Labour Party, which was gaining strength.

In 1924, Massey became very ill with cancer. He had to give up many of his official duties. He died the following year, in 1925. The Massey Memorial was built in Wellington as his burial place, paid for mostly by public donations. Massey University is named after him because the university focused on agricultural science, which matched Massey's farming background.

Honours and Family

•  France: Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour
•  Belgium: Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown

Massey's wife, Christina, received a special honor (the GBE) in 1926, a year after he died.

Two of his sons also became Members of Parliament for the Reform Party:

• Jack (1885–1964) represented his father's Franklin area from 1928 to 1935. He later served for the National Party from 1938 to 1957.
• Walter William (1882–1959) represented the Hauraki area from 1931 to 1935.

His son Frank George Massey (1887–1975) fought in World War I. He became a Major and commanded a battalion.

Images for kids

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  Massey in 1919

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  Massey and James Allen heading to Bellamy's to celebrate becoming the government. New Zealand Spectator, 13 July 1912.

• 

  On 29 June 1918, Massey and Ward visited New Zealand troops in France. This photo shows them arriving in Boulogne, 1918.

• 

  Massey speaking to New Zealand machine gunners in France, 30 June 1918.

• 

  Portrait of Massey by Sir William Orpen.

See also

In Spanish: William Massey para niños