# Postmaster-General (New Zealand)

The Postmaster-General in New Zealand was the government minister responsible for the New Zealand Post Office (NZPO) from 1858 to 1989, when the NZPO (formerly the Post and Telegraph Department) was split into three State Owned Enterprises, responsible to the Minister of State Owned Enterprises: New Zealand Post Limited, Telecom New Zealand Limited, and Post Office Bank Limited.

## History

From 1841 to 1853 the Postmaster-General was a civil servant, responsible to the Postmaster-General of New South Wales (1841–42) then the Postmaster-General of Great Britain (1842–53).
Governor Sir George Grey appointed Henry William Petre to be Postmaster-General on 13 August 1853, but his appointment was not accepted by the First Parliament that met in 1854, and he left for England early in the new year.

## Office holders

The following MPs have held the office of Postmaster-General:

### Key

Independent  Liberal  Reform  United  Labour  National
| No. | Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Prime Minister |
| 1 | Henry Tancred | 3 November 1858 | 12 July 1861 | Stafford |
| 2 | Crosbie Ward | 2 August 1861 | 6 August 1862 | Fox |
| 3 | Walter Mantell | 6 August 1862 | 21 August 1862 | Domett |
| (2) | Crosbie Ward | 21 August 1862 | 30 October 1863 | Domett |
| 4 | Thomas Gillies | 30 October 1863 | 24 November 1864 | Whitaker |
| 5 | John Richardson | 24 November 1864 | 16 October 1865 | Weld |
| 6 | Edward Stafford | 31 October 1865 | 8 May 1866 | Stafford |
| 7 | James Paterson | 8 May 1866 | 24 August 1866 | Stafford |
| 8 | John Hall | 24 August 1866 | 5 February 1869 | Stafford |
| (6) | Edward Stafford | 6 February 1869 | 28 June 1869 | Stafford |
| 9 | Julius Vogel | 6 February 1869 | 10 September 1872 | Fox |
| 10 | Oswald Curtis | 10 September 1872 | 11 October 1872 | Stafford |
| (9) | Julius Vogel | 11 October 1872 | 1 September 1876 | Waterhouse |
| (9) | Julius Vogel | 11 October 1872 | 1 September 1876 | Fox |
| (9) | Julius Vogel | 11 October 1872 | 1 September 1876 | Vogel |
| (9) | Julius Vogel | 11 October 1872 | 1 September 1876 | Pollen |
| (9) | Julius Vogel | 11 October 1872 | 1 September 1876 | Vogel |
| 11 | George McLean | 1 September 1876 | 13 September 1876 | Atkinson |
| 12 | Frederick Whitaker | 13 September 1876 | 7 December 1876 | Atkinson |
| 13 | John Davies Ormond | 7 December 1876 | 12 January 1877 | Atkinson |
| (11) | George McLean | 12 January 1877 | 13 October 1877 | Atkinson |
| 14 | James Temple Fisher | 15 October 1877 | 8 October 1879 | Grey |
| (8) | John Hall | 8 October 1879 | 9 March 1881 | Hall |
| 15 | Walter Woods Johnston | 9 March 1881 | 11 October 1882 | Hall |
| 15 | Walter Woods Johnston | 9 March 1881 | 11 October 1882 | Whitaker |
| 16 | Thomas Dick | 11 October 1882 | 25 September 1883 | Whitaker |
| 17 | Richard Oliver | 25 September 1883 | 16 August 1884 | Atkinson |
| (9) | Julius Vogel | 16 August 1884 | 28 August 1884 | Stout |
| 18 | William Russell | 28 August 1884 | 3 September 1884 | Atkinson |
| (9) | Julius Vogel | 3 September 1884 | 8 October 1887 | Stout |
| 19 | Harry Atkinson | 8 October 1887 | 17 October 1889 | Atkinson |
| 20 | Edwin Mitchelson | 17 October 1889 | 24 January 1891 | Atkinson |
| 21 | Patrick Buckley | 24 January 1891 | 4 February 1891 | Ballance |
| 21 | Patrick Buckley | 24 January 1891 | 4 February 1891 | Seddon |
| 22 | Joseph Ward | 4 February 1891 | 16 June 1896 | Seddon |
| 23 | Richard Seddon | 16 June 1896 | 21 December 1899 | Seddon |
| (22) | Joseph Ward | 21 December 1899 | 28 March 1912 | Seddon |
| (22) | Joseph Ward | 21 December 1899 | 28 March 1912 | Hall-Jones |
| (22) | Joseph Ward | 21 December 1899 | 28 March 1912 | Ward |
| 24 | Harry Ell | 28 March 1912 | 10 July 1912 | MacKenzie |
| 25 | Heaton Rhodes | 10 July 1912 | 12 August 1915 | Massey |
| (22) | Joseph Ward | 12 August 1915 | 4 September 1919 | Massey |
| 26 | Gordon Coates | 4 September 1919 | 30 May 1925 | Massey |
| 26 | Gordon Coates | 4 September 1919 | 30 May 1925 | Bell |
| 27 | James Parr | 30 May 1925 | 24 May 1926 | Coates |
| 28 | William Nosworthy | 24 May 1926 | 10 December 1928 | Coates |
| 29 | James Donald | 10 December 1928 | 18 December 1929 | Ward |
| (22) | Joseph Ward | 18 December 1929 | 28 May 1930 | Ward |
| (29) | James Donald | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | Forbes |
| 30 | Adam Hamilton | 22 September 1931 | 6 December 1935 | Forbes |
| 31 | Fred Jones | 6 December 1935 | 1 April 1940 | Savage |
| 31 | Fred Jones | 6 December 1935 | 1 April 1940 | Fraser |
| 32 | Paddy Webb | 1 April 1940 | 19 December 1946 | Fraser |
| 33 | Fred Hackett | 19 December 1946 | 13 December 1949 | Fraser |
| 34 | Walter Broadfoot | 13 December 1949 | 26 November 1954 | Holland |
| 35 | Tom Shand | 26 November 1954 | 12 December 1957 | Holland |
| 35 | Tom Shand | 26 November 1954 | 12 December 1957 | Holyoake |
| 36 | Mick Moohan | 12 December 1957 | 12 December 1960 | Nash |
| 37 | Thomas Hayman | 12 December 1960 | 2 May 1961 | Holyoake |
| 38 | Arthur Kinsella | 2 May 1961 | 20 December 1963 | Holyoake |
| 39 | Jack Scott | 20 December 1963 | 22 December 1969 | Holyoake |
| 40 | Allan McCready | 22 December 1969 | 9 February 1972 | Holyoake |
| 41 | Bert Walker | 9 February 1972 | 8 December 1972 | Marshall |
| 42 | Roger Douglas | 8 December 1972 | 10 September 1974 | Kirk |
| 43 | Fraser Colman | 10 September 1974 | 12 December 1975 | Rowling |
| 44 | Hugh Templeton | 12 December 1975 | 8 March 1977 | Muldoon |
| 45 | Peter Wilkinson | 8 March 1977 | 13 December 1978 | Muldoon |
| 46 | Ben Couch | 13 December 1978 | 22 August 1980 | Muldoon |
| 47 | Warren Cooper | 22 August 1980 | 11 December 1981 | Muldoon |
| 48 | John Falloon | 11 December 1981 | 19 February 1982 | Muldoon |
| 49 | Rob Talbot | 19 February 1982 | 26 July 1984 | Muldoon |
| 50 | Jonathan Hunt | 26 July 1984 | 24 August 1987 | Lange |
| 51 | Richard Prebble | 24 August 1987 | 5 November 1988 | Lange |
| 52 | David Butcher | 5 November 1988 | 14 August 1989 | Lange |
| 52 | David Butcher | 5 November 1988 | 14 August 1989 | Palmer |