William Travers (New Zealand politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Travers
Travers, c.1879
Personal details
Born	William Thomas Locke Travers January 1819 Newcastle West, County Limerick, Ireland
Died	23 April 1903(1903-04-23) (aged 84) Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Relatives	Henry Travers (son)
Profession	Lawyer, magistrate, politician, explorer, naturalist, photographer

William Thomas Locke Travers (born January 1819 – died 23 April 1903) was an amazing New Zealander who did many things! He was a lawyer, a politician, an explorer, and a naturalist. This means he studied nature and plants.

Early Life

Travers with his wife and daughter in the garden of Englefield Lodge in Christchurch

William Travers was born in Ireland in January 1819. When he was young, his family moved to France, where he grew up and went to school.

In 1835, when he was about 16, William joined the British military. He fought in a war in Spain called the First Carlist War. After his time in the military, he became a lawyer.

In 1849, William and his family moved all the way to Nelson, New Zealand. He continued to work as a lawyer there. Later, he also lived in other New Zealand cities like Christchurch and Wellington.

Political Career

William Travers was involved in politics both for the whole country and for local areas. He was a member of the New Zealand Parliament, which is like the main government group for the country.

He represented different areas, called "electorates," like Nelson, Waimea, Christchurch, and Wellington. He was elected to Parliament several times.

William also worked in the local governments of Nelson Province and Canterbury Province. A "province" is like a region within a country.

One of his most important political ideas was to make the main government responsible for education, instead of local governments. This was a big change for New Zealand.

Author

William Travers also enjoyed writing. He wrote for science magazines, sharing his discoveries and ideas. He also wrote a book called Stirring Times of Te Rauparaha.

Explorer and Naturalist

William Travers loved exploring and studying nature. He went on many trips to parts of New Zealand that were not well known.

• He found the starting point of the Waiau River.
• He named the Ada River.
• He collected many samples of mountain grasses and flowers. He sent these to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in England, which is a famous garden and research center.

William also helped create the Wellington Botanic Garden. He was on the garden's board for 22 years, helping it grow and develop.

Death and Commemoration

William Travers died in an accident on 27 April 1903. He was trying to get off a moving train at the Lower Hutt railway station.

He was buried in the Bolton Street Cemetery in Wellington. He had a son named Henry Travers.

Many places in New Zealand are named after William Travers to remember him:

• Mt Travers
• The Travers Saddle in the Travers Range
• The Travers River in the Travers Valley
• Upper Travers Hut
• The Travers-Sabine Circuit in Nelson Lakes National Park
• The Travers Room at the Rainbow Ski Area