William Massey is our second-longest serving leader. Although he was reviled by the left for crushing workers in 1913 with his ‘Massey’s Cossacks’ (strike-breakers), his legacy is being re-evaluated.
William Massey
Personal details
Full Name:
William Ferguson Massey
Lifetime:
26 Mar 1856 – 10 May 1925
Prime Minister:
10 Jul 1912–10 May 1925
Age on becoming Prime Minister:
56
Electorate:
Franklin
Political Party:
Reform
Biography
Events In History
10 May 1925
A gruff Ulsterman from South Auckland, William Ferguson Massey (‘Farmer Bill’) is New Zealand’s second-longest-serving prime minister.
28 June 1919
Bill Massey’s was the 17th signature on the treaty, the implementation of which formally ended the war between the Allies and Germany.
20 December 1913
The Great Strike of 1913, which had begun in late October when Wellington waterside workers stopped work, finally ended when the United Federation of Labour conceded defeat.
24 October 1913
Violent clashes between unionised waterside workers and non-union labour erupted two days after Wellington’s ‘wharfies’ held a stopwork meeting in support of striking shipwrights.
Articles
Parliament Buildings
Parliament buildings have been modified, destroyed by fire, half-built and restored; the parliamentary places and spaces have formed an important part of New Zealand's history. Read the full article
Page 3 - The halfway house
In 1911, a competition was held for designs for a new building to house Parliament. From the 33 proposals, John Campbell's was selected and building began, although it did not all
Brain food
This regularly updated section showcases current thinking on best practice, research and ideas useful for teachers planning and teaching history. Read the full article
Page 5 - Massey at Massey
This stimulating conference showed that William Ferguson Massey, the erstwhile scourge of the workers, has not merely been rehabilitated but is headed for the Kiwi
Dominion status
On 26 September 1907 the colony of New Zealand ceased to exist. It became, instead, a dominion within the British Empire. Read the full article
Page 4 - Demise of Dominion Day
Dominion Day, 26 September, never really took hold in New Zealand. Wellington was one of the few places that kept up ceremonies after
The 1920s
The 1920s was the decade that modern New Zealand came of age. Despite political and economic uncertainty, the country shrugged off the gloom of war to embrace the Jazz Age - an era of speed, power and glamour. Explore an overview of the decade and a year-by-year breakdown of key events. Read the full article
Page 8 - 1925 - key events
A selection of key New Zealand events from
Main image: Robert Heaton Rhodes
Robert Heaton Rhodes was postmaster-general and minister of telegraphs in William Massey's Reform Cabinet between 1912 and 1915
