EDWARD WAKEFIELD

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 12023, 29 December 1924, Page 3

EDWARD WAKEFIELD

A SUCCESSFULCAREER VALUABLE WORK IN NEW ZEALAND. Edward Wakefield, -whose sudden death at the age of seventy-nine took place at Richmond on Sunday, August 10th, j92i, was born in Tasmania in 1845 (says "United Empire”), ' He was a man whose name at one time occupied a most piominent place in public affairs in the oolony of New Zealand, and he will long be, Remembered by all 'having the interests of the Dominion at heart. After receivincr his education privately in France and at King's College, London, he pro-, seeded to'New Zealand ‘with his father* Felix Wakefield, who was at that time supervising the passage of parties of selected settlers on their long voyage from the English shires to the young colony, under the famous colonisation scheme of his brother, Edward Gibbon’ Wakefield, founder of New Zealand. / { ' On returning with his father to New Zealand, young Edward Wakefield lived with the family at Nelson, and there ho laid the foundations of that career in which he was later to attain sudh: conspicuous success. He began v his business life by joining the staff of the ! '.‘Nelson Examiner" a, journal of high-gTade character, very ably conducted. After taking part in the Maori War, Edward Wakefield left his post on the "Examiner” and entered the Government employ in the Native Land Claims Court of the Ctown Lands Department. Here he came into close contact with some of the mo&t prominent men. of the day in Zealand and, at the age of twenty,; was appointed to the important and responsible post of private secretary, to Mr Stafford, afterwards Sir Edward Stafford. K.C.M.G., who at the close of tbo -Maori War became Premier of Zealand. After a short term with the Excise Department at Dunedin. Edward Wakefield was recalled to Wellington, which liad then become the s seat of Government, to serve as private secretary to the Premier, and secretary to the Cabinet. In * ; £72 he was appointed Resident .Magistrate and Collector of Customs at the Chatham Islands, but eventually, relinquished that post to take up .an important civil service appointment. at Auckland. The **ame year Mr Wakefield resigned from the Civil Service arid resumed his former profession by undertaking the editorship of the "Tiiparu Herald,” which, under able and Vigorous management; very soon began to be regarded as one of the most important organs of the New. Zealand press. .. '• ' % 1 : , In 1875 Edward Wakefield entered politics and was elected as the first mem'ber of' Parliament for; Geraldine, which electoral district ho represented for a considerable number of years. ,' ie entered the House of .Representatives, where he'took . a leading part '.in the political life of New Zealand and continued a very active campaign in maintaining what he regarded the higher traditions of the colony, through the medium of the "Evening Pfess," an exceedingly,'able and journal which he'founded and edited in Wellington. In politics he was an -unbending Edward Wakefield finally left New Zealand and. settled in London in 1890, aft*? a lengthy business visit to America, Tt was at this time that his well-known book onMJhe colony, "New Zealand after Fifty Years,” was "published, ; and thatwork was followed by an immense number ofi articles contributed to leading magazmes and reviews both in England And America. His interest in New Zealand and in Britain's overseas Dominion* in all parts of the world always remained strong, and was, exemplified h* h?s close connection with the Royal Colohial Institute and the fact that p rora time to time he was persuaded to t*»n tribute papers and to give lecturer on Dominion and colonial" matters. In the later years of his life he resided principally in London, and _ although suffering from almost total blindness hr continued to live the peaceful, dfgninef life of a "Brother of the Charterhouse,' having been admitted to the ancient f thusian foundation in recognition ofiuia outstanding services to the colony of New Zealand and to the Empire. There he maintained his old journalistic vigoui by prroduciiig vivid articles on literary and artistic subjects, and on matters £‘>n* nectedwwith 'his earlier life in New Zea- ; land. As recently as within a few weeic§. of his death, two admirable articles from his ~en were published in the Nineteenth Century/* graphically describing the delightful friendship that existed b •> tween the novelist Thackeray and himW when a young man. ) Although he was not actually born im New Zealand. Edward Wakefield wag, heart and soul,- a New Zealander. From the days of his early youth he had always taken a keen and active part in the political, literary and artistic life of the colony and, b.y tlib force of his character/ and oxampie* contributed very materially to the upbuilding and development of the young Dominion;