Peter Fraser, New Zealand’s wartime PM, led the nation for nine years. Respected rather than loved like Savage, many experts rate him our finest PM.
Peter Fraser
Personal details
Full Name:
Peter Fraser
Lifetime:
28 Aug 1884 – 13 Dec 1950
Prime Minister:
27 Mar 1940–13 Dec 1949
Age on becoming Prime Minister:
55
Electorate:
Wellington Central
Political Party:
Labour
Biography
Events In History
1 November 1944
Over 800 Polish refugees seeking safety from war-torn Europe disembarked in Wellington. For the 733 children and 102 adults it was the end of a long and perilous journey.
3 September 1939
Alongside Britain and Australia, New Zealand was one of the first countries to become involved in the global conflict precipitated by Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939.
27 November 1935
The 1935 general election has long been seen a defining moment in New Zealand history. Undermined by its failure to cope with the distress of the Depression, the Coalition (‘National’) government was routed by the Labour Party, led by Michael Joseph Savage.
22 December 1916
Peter Fraser’s trial in the Wellington Magistrates’ Court was the sequel to a speech in which he attacked the government’s policy of military conscription.
Articles
New Zealand and the United Nations
New Zealand has a tradition of commitment to the concept of collective security. It was a member of the League of Nations between the world wars and was active in the establishment of the United Nations in June 1945. Read the full article
Page 3 - Participation in the United Nations
The United Nations Charter established six principal organs to achieve its aims. New Zealand has played a part in all of these
Housing the Prime Minister
Almost 150 years after the government purchased the first official premier's residence on Tinakori Road, Wellington, the address of Premier House remains the same. But in the intervening years the building has been extended, renamed, abandoned and refurbished. Read the full article
Page 3 - Unofficial prime ministerial houses
From 1935 to 1975 our prime ministers lived in a series of 'unofficial'
Main image: New Zealand troops in Egypt after Crete
New Zealand troops met Prime Minister Peter Fraser and Major-General Bernard Freyberg at Maadi Camp in Egypt following their evacuation from Crete, 1941.
