Sir William Jordan Dies In Auckland

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28865, 9 April 1959, Page 16

Sir William Jordan Dies In Auckland

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, April 8.

Sir William Joseph Jordan, who was New Zealand High Commissioner in London for 15 years, died tonight in the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, aged 79. He had been ill for some weeks.

One of the best-known and best-liked public figures in New Zealand. Sir William Jordan established an extraordinarily high reputation while he was High Commissioner in London during World War 11. Thousands of New Zealand servicemen who met him during the war remember him for his forthright manner, his ready humour, and his unfailing kindness.

Born in Ramsgate, Kent, in 1879, the son of Captain W. Jordan, Sir William Jordan was educated at St. Luke’s parochial school, London. Apprenticed to coach painting in 1892, he found in a year or two that the smell of paint made him ill, and he got a job in the postal service. The day came, however, when he was put in charge of some painting work. He resigned again. Sir William Jordan spent a short term in the Metropolitan Police Force, but after a few months’ duty in London’s tough Limehouse district he left the force in 1904 and emigrated to New Zealand. Interest in Politics

At first, he took up farming in the bush country, but left for a position on the railways. Soon afterwards he was in business in Wellington and the Waikato. Not long after his arrival in New Zealand, Sir William Jordan became active in politics and in 1907 was made the first secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party. president of the party in

During World War I, he served with the New Zealand forces and was severely wounded in France. In 1922. he was elected member of Parliament for Manukau, creating a political sensation by defeating Sir Frederick Lang, the Speaker of the House of Representatives. He retained the seat for Labour at each election until he resigned in 1936 to return to London as High Commissioner where he succeeded Sir James Parr.

In 1928 Sir William Jordan represented New Zealand at the Empire Parliamentary Conference in Canada and also was the New Zealand representative at the League of Nations from 1936 to 1939. He attended the nine-power conference at Brussels in 1938 and during the same year was elected chairman of the Imperial Economic Commission in London.

In 1946, Sir William Jordan attended the Peace Conference and a year later, on behalf of New Zealand signed the peace treaty with Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania, Jugoslavia, and Finland.

During his term as High Commissioner the former London policeman was made a Freeman of the City. He was also made a member of the Worshipful Company of Girdlers in 1941, the Worshipful Company of Butchers in 1948, and a Freeman of Ramsgate in 1937. He carried the New Zealand Ensign at the Coronation of King George VI in 1937. Sir William Jordan was created a Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June, 1952. St. Andrews University and Cambridge University awarded him honorary degrees of doctor of law.

He attended the first meeting in New Zealand of the Privy Council held by the Queen at Wellington in 1954.

Sir William Jordan was a Wesleyan and for a long period served as a local preacher. He is survived by his wife, whom he married in 1952, and' a son and daughter of a former marriage.