# George Forbes (New Zealand politician)

George William Forbes PC (/fɔːrbz/; 12 March 1869 – 17 May 1947) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of New Zealand from 28 May 1930 to 6 December 1935.
Forbes was born in Lyttelton and later began farming near Christchurch. He became active in local politics. Forbes first entered the House of Representatives in 1908 as a member of the Liberal Party, he became leader in 1925, the leader of the United Party in 1930, and he initially led the newly created National Party in 1936. His rise to power as Prime Minister was unexpected, and some believed him unsuited to the post; it was his misfortune to hold office during the very worst period of the Great Depression. He nevertheless remained in power for five years. Forbes headed the United–Reform coalition Government that eventually became the modern National Party.
Often referred to as "Honest George", Forbes had a reputation for probity, considerable debating skills, a good memory, and that most essential of skills in a party leader, an ability to assess the mood of the House. A man of equable disposition, his courteous and friendly attitude earned him the liking and respect of parliamentarians from all sides of the House. Throughout his time in national politics his Hurunui constituents held Forbes in high regard: even during his tenure as Prime Minister he would roll up his sleeves and help load sheep from his farm on the railway wagons for market.

## Early life

Forbes was born in 1869 in Lyttelton, just outside the city of Christchurch. His father was Robert Forbes, a prosperous ships’ chandler and merchant, and his mother was Annie Adamson. He gained his education at Lytteton school and at Christchurch Boys' High School in Christchurch, and did not attend university. He became known for his ability at sport, particularly in athletics, rowing, and rugby where he captained the Canterbury team in 1892. After finishing school he was employed at a Lyttelton merchant's business and then briefly worked in his father's ships' chandlery business in Lyttelton. In 1893, at the age of 24, he drove his spring-cart from Christchurch to Cheviot, North Canterbury, after gaining two adjoining leasehold farming sections in the Cheviot Estate land ballot and he went on to establish himself as a successful farmer on this land that he named Crystal Brook. Initially he lived in a tent on his new land until the first homestead was built. An interest in politics was first stoked after hearing George Grey speak in Lyttelton. His interest was furthered by George Laurenson, a future Liberal member of parliament and a business partner of his father. He quickly became active in the local politics of the region, particularly as a member of the Mckenzie Domain Board, the Cheviot County Council and the Cheviot Settlers' Association. He was appointed by Richard Seddon as a Commission member on the 1905 Royal Commission on Crown Lands and with others on the Commission travelled extensively around the country.
Forbes participated in a debating society in Christchurch. He was versed in British political history even though he didn't attend university. After his death in 1947, it was noted by Sidney Holland in parliament that the Parliamentary Librarian of the era, Dr. Scholefield, had informed Holland that Forbes was "one of the most widely read men." Walter Nash was also recorded at the same time paying tribute to the fact that Forbes was a great reader, noting that he had read more biographies and knew more about the political history of New Zealand and Britain than most.

## Entry to Parliament

At the 1902 election, Forbes made his first attempt to enter national politics, standing for the Hurunui electorate. He stood as an independent, having failed to gain the Liberal Party nomination. He lost the election. At the 1908 election, however, he became the Liberal Party's official Hurunui candidate, and won the seat of Hurunui. He would hold this seat for thirty-five years.
Forbes remained a backbencher for some time, but became the Liberal Party's Whip when party leader Thomas Mackenzie became prime minister in March 1912. He retained this position when his party went into Opposition on 10 July 1912. However, he had considerably higher status within the party than his official responsibilities indicated, although few thought of him as a potential leader. He became the deputy of Liberal leader Thomas Wilford, and did most of the work running the party administratively.
By the mid-1920s, the Liberal Party faced a decision as to its political future. The Reform Party government of William Massey dominated the political scene, having secured the conservative vote, while the growing Labour Party had started to undermine Liberal's progressive voter-base. Many members of the Liberal Party believed an alliance with the Reform Party inevitable, seeing such co-operation as necessary to counteract the "radicalism" of the Labour Party. When Massey died in 1925, Wilford decided to approach Massey's successor with a merger-proposal, suggesting that the new party could use the name "the National Party". The Liberal Party chose Forbes to represent them at a joint conference. The new Reform Party leader, Gordon Coates, rejected the proposal, although Wilford declared that the Liberals would include the name "National" in their party regardless.

## Party leader

Shortly after the merger proposal was rejected, Wilford resigned as leader, and Forbes unexpectedly became party leader. In the election later that year, however, the party did very badly, gaining only eleven seats compared with Reform's fifty-five. To compound the injury, Forbes no longer even held the post of Leader of the Opposition – the Labour Party had won twelve seats, enabling its leader Harry Holland to claim seniority in Opposition, although with two independents sitting in opposition as well the position of Leader of the Opposition remained vacant until Labour won the 1926 Eden by-election.
The party's poor fortune did not last long, however. In 1927, Liberal Party politician Bill Veitch secured an alliance with Albert Davy, a former Reform Party organiser who had become dissatisfied with what he saw as Reform's paternalism and intrusive governance. The remains of the Liberal Party, still calling itself National, absorbed Davy's new "United New Zealand Political Organization", and adopted the name "the United Party". Forbes and Veitch both vied as candidates for the leadership of the United Party, but the position eventually went to a former Liberal Party Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward. Forbes became one of two deputy leaders, having particular responsibility for the South Island.
Under the United banner, bolstered by Reform Party dissidents, the remnants of the old Liberal Party once again gained traction. In the 1928 election, United unexpectedly won as many seats as Reform, and formed a government with backing from the Labour Party. Forbes gained the portfolios of Lands and Agriculture.
Ward had been in poor health for most of the 1920s, and continued to decline throughout his second tenure as prime minister. By the spring of 1929, Ward could no longer carry out his duties, leaving Forbes as acting prime minister in all but name. In May 1930, Ward finally gave his official resignation, and Forbes succeeded him as United Party leader and prime minister. He also served as his own minister of finance leading financial policy.

## Prime Minister

As Prime Minister, Forbes, was once described by William Downie Stewart Jr as "apathetic and fatalistic", reacted to events but showed little vision or purpose. At the same time, Downie Stewart acknowledged that Forbes had to do "a rotten job". Opponents also criticised him for relying too much on the advice of his friends. However, the Great Depression proved a difficult time for many governments around the world, and his defenders claim that he did the best job possible in the circumstances of the economic crisis. Shortly after becoming Prime Minister, Lord Bledisloe, the Governor-General from 1930 until 1935, described Forbes to the King's then Private Secretary, Lord Stamfordham, as "universally respected by the N.Z. public and by politicians of all shades of opinion. He is a man of always polite speech and agreeable manner and without doubt the most popular member of the House of Representatives." Forbes became New Zealand’s first Canterbury-born Prime Minister.
During his premiership, Forbes also served as the Minister of External Affairs between 1930 and 1935.
Early into his premiership, Forbes represented New Zealand in London at the 1930 Imperial Conference and, along with fellow Dominion Prime Ministers, dealt with legislative and economic matters affecting Britain and its Dominion countries. Forbes led a strong team and reports of his performance in Britain were positive. Stamfordham wrote to Bledisloe shortly after, telling him, "I should say that among all the Dominion Prime Ministers of the 1930 Imperial Conference, Forbes will be remembered with feelings of appreciation and respect." Carl Berendsen, who had joined the Prime Minister's Department in 1926 as Imperial Affairs Officer and who later became head of that Department and an Ambassador, accompanied Forbes to the London conference and in Berendsen's view, "He never pretended to be anything but transparently honest and sincere and he got through the conference with credit. In the countryside and the provincial cities as well as the capital he was well liked." Confidence in Forbes continued and in early 1931, his long-time friend and cabinet colleague, Sir Apirana Ngata, noted that, "Since he returned from London we have all remarked [on] his confident handling of affairs and homeliness of his manner of stating problems. I suppose the great ones of the Earth have been and are men of a few simple great ideas, whose minds can wrap these round any accumulation of detail."
The Forbes government began to show signs of instability when the Labour Party withdrew its support. Labour expressed dissatisfaction with a number of the government's economic measures – Forbes intended them to reduce the government deficit and to stimulate the economy, but Labour claimed that they unnecessarily harmed the interests of poorer citizens. Forbes had perforce to continue with reluctant support from the Reform Party, which now feared Labour's growing popularity.
Forbes took little interest in his ministers' work and had a very hands-off approach to leadership. He was either unable or unwilling to look beyond the economic orthodoxy of austerity. His policies were uninspiring with budget cuts, minimal wage relief work schemes and civil service pay cuts being implemented. During this time of fiscal restraint by his government, a story was leaked that Forbes indulged in the personal luxury of going to the movie theatre twice a week. However, sources of disinformation about Forbes appear to have occasionally arisen from the office of Gordon Coates and, coincidentally, a story about going to the pictures twice a week was first reported in parliament on 27 September 1932, when Labour member Robert Semple questioned Forbes about an interview given by Gordon Coates to the San Francisco Chronicle. It was Coates who had reportedly told the newspaper that New Zealand city-bred folk were heading to the countryside, where they were provided with houses and taken to the pictures twice a week.
In late 1931, Forbes called for a "grand coalition" of United, Reform, and Labour to resolve the country's economic problems. Forbes told a joint conference that he would not implement the measures he deemed necessary without broad backing. Labour refused to join this coalition, but ex-Prime Minister Coates (prompted by the Reform Party's finance spokesperson, William Downie Stewart Jr) eventually agreed. In the 1931 election, the United-Reform Coalition performed well, winning a combined total of fifty-one seats. Forbes remained Prime Minister, but surrendered the finance role to Stewart. Slowly, however, many people came to believe that Coates held significantly more influence, and that Forbes showed himself overwilling to give in to Coates' demands. This view became reinforced when Coates and Stewart argued over financial policy – although Forbes was known to prefer Stewart's policy, he publicly sided with Coates, and Stewart resigned.
Coates replaced Stewart as Minister of Finance, and became even more dominant in the coalition. In later correspondence, written shortly before the 1935 election, Stewart himself noted this, complaining that, "the Prime Minister is too passive and the Minister of Finance is too active". Both Forbes and Coates, however, increasingly took the blame for the country's ongoing economic problems, and could not avoid the growing public dissatisfaction. Coates' acquisition of the finance portfolio, coincided with more imaginative approaches taking place. These included a devaluation of the currency to improve export prices, giving mortgage relief for farmers and the creation of the Reserve Bank. Forbes never conceived any such initiatives of his own and was a passive bystander in decision making. Despite these and other later perceptions, in 1930, prior to the United coalition with Reform, Forbes had also been Minister of Finance and, in creating the Reserve Bank, it was Forbes who in July 1930 commissioned Otto Niemeyer of the Bank of England to report on New Zealand establishing a central bank. Later, in December 1932 and prior to Coates becoming Minister of Finance, Forbes introduced the Reserve Bank Bill to the House. Lord Bledisloe became familiar with both Forbes and Coates throughout this difficult period and his view of each man, recorded in his correspondence to the King's Private Secretary from 1931, Clive Wigram, was that Forbes, when not suffering from overwork, was patient and phlegmatic and difficult to provoke, whereas Coates was jumpy and indiscreet. Despite Coates’ increased influence in government, Bledisloe’s view of him as contained in his continuing written reports to the King did not improve. In 1932 Bledisloe wrote that Coates was, “thoroughly unstable, insensitive to criticism, imprudently outspoken in public and (I regret to say), disloyal to his colleagues”.
Forbes represented New Zealand at the World Economic Conference in London in June 1933. Leaving his finance minister Coates behind, Forbes took with him on his team Robert Masters, the Minister of Industries and Commerce. The route included stops in Ottawa, Los Angeles, New York and Washington D.C., where Forbes met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House.
In May 1935, Forbes and his team were again in London, this time for the King’s silver jubilee celebrations, ministerial discussions, and trade meetings. During his trip he joined other Prime Ministers at various State functions, including making an appearance in front of crowds with the Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. Before leaving for London, Forbes had issued a public statement about the trip and the state of economic affairs, and Forbes and Coates had also issued a joint statement regarding the continuation of their coalition. With that lead, an amalgamation between the United and Reform parties in the form of the National Political Federation was announced in May 1935.
In the election of 1935 the Labour Party defeated the coalition government, gaining fifty-five votes to the coalition's nineteen. Forbes was noted for his gracious and sporting concession speech delivered to the country over the radio on the night of the 1935 election.
Forbes was a Privy Counsellor. He was granted the Honorary Freedom of the City of London and the Honorary Freedom of the City of Edinburgh. He had an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) conferred on him by the University of Edinburgh and the Queen's University of Belfast. In 1935, Forbes was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal, and in 1937, he was awarded the King George VI Coronation Medal.

## Opposition and Retirement

In private correspondence to his friend and former cabinet colleague William Downie Stewart Jr, sent a few days after parliament resumed in March 1936, Forbes wrote that, he had enjoyed the time since the election and also told Stewart that he agreed with his description of Office as, "Slavery that is miscalled power". Despite these personal feelings and the relief he told Stewart he felt after the pressures of Office, Forbes remained the only parliamentary party leader between 1925 and 1936 to have consistently called for the formation of the National Party and a formal party fusion between United and Reform was foremost in mind following the 1935 election. Forbes had led the Liberal Party delegation in fusion discussions with Reform in 1925, he had pushed hard for a coalition government with Reform in 1931 and for the fusion of 1935, in the form of the National Political Federation. In February and April 1936, Forbes and others on the Dominion Executive of the National Political Federation agreed to call a conference of members and supporters to form The New Zealand National Party. Of these Dominion Executive members, only Coates stood in opposition once more.
On 31 October 1936 Forbes issued a public statement telling the country that, after the defeat of the 1935 election, he had felt it was his duty to disregard his personal inclinations and to carry on as leader of his Party until matters had settled and a wise decision regarding his successor was made. On 4 December 1935, Forbes had been elected Leader of the Parliamentary National Party, he became Leader of the Opposition on 6 December 1935, and from May 1936 led the new National Party (created out of United and Reform) until October 1936 when Adam Hamilton became the party leader. Forbes was also an initial member of the Dominion Council Executive of The New Zealand National Party. The Parliamentary National Party had formally resolved in late August 1936 to “reaffirm loyalty to Mr. Forbes” and had pledged to “support him as leader of the Party”, but both Party and leader had at the same time also agreed on Forbes's tenure as leader of the new National Party until the end of the parliamentary session on 31 October 1936, as Forbes had indicated his desire to withdraw from the limelight, and younger figures in the party saw his past tenure as a political liability. In comparing Forbes and Coates in 1936, Clyde Carr, a Labour MP and then Labour Party President, wrote of Forbes, "The mantle of Cincinnatus will, I think, fit him rather better than his colleague, Mr. Coates."
Forbes retained his parliamentary seat, he was on the Opposition front-bench and served periodically as Deputy Leader of the Opposition until 1943 when he retired after 35 years as a Member of Parliament. His long number of years in the House of Representatives was a record for Canterbury and, with the assistance of Sir Joseph Ward in 1928, he had succeeded in leading the Liberals from their years of decline into the form of the long-living National Party. He declined the offer of the customary knighthood, and four years after his retirement he died at Crystal Brook, his farm near Cheviot. Shortly after, his family declined the government's offer of a State Funeral in favour of a ceremony for him at Cheviot.
Following his death, the Prime Minister, Peter Fraser, told the House that as a young member, he had "never met any one more kindly or more helpful, or who would give sounder or more friendly advice" than Forbes and, in ending his tribute, Fraser also stated his appreciation of Forbes, "most of all, as a man of sterling character and integrity and as a good friend." The national memorial for Forbes, the George Forbes Memorial Library, forms part of Lincoln University near Christchurch.

## Citations

* ↑ "Forbes, George William". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
* ↑ "George Forbes, (Manatū Taonga — Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 12-Feb-2025". New Zealand History.
* ↑ "Mr. Forbes departs". The Dominion. Vol. 23, no. 283. 26 August 1930. p. 10 – via Papers Past.
* ↑ Martin, John E. (2004). The House: New Zealand's House of Representatives 1854–2004. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press Ltd. p. 193. ISBN 0-86469-463-6.
* ↑ "D SERIES - Today In New Zealand History, May 28th. "Mr. Forbes Becomes Prime Minister"". Nga Taonga Sound & Vision.
* 1 2 3 4 5 Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Forbes, George William". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
* ↑ "Politician's memories". Te Awamutu Courier. Vol. 67, no. 5876. 22 November 1943. p. 3 – via Papers Past.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gardner, W. J. "Forbes, George William – Biography". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
* ↑ "1905 Royal Commission Report on Crown Lands". Parliamentary Papers Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives – via Papers Past.
* 1 2 Forbes, Bart (2 October 2020). "New Zealand Prime Minister "Honest George" William Forbes". ClanForbesSociety. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
* ↑ "Hansard, Parliamentary debates v.276 1947, June 24 to July 29, Pages 17 to 22".
* ↑ Bassett 1982, p. 35.
* ↑ "The Opposition Leader – Mr Wilford Resigns". The Otago Daily Times. No. 19558. 14 August 1925. p. 5.
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* ↑ Bassett 1993, p. 264.
* ↑ "The New Leader". Thames Star. Vol. LXII, no. 17431. 20 September 1928. p. 4.
* ↑ "Next leader". Auckland Star. Vol. LXI, no. 113. 15 May 1930. p. 8 – via Papers Past.
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* ↑ Bassett 1982, p. 53.
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* ↑ 20 August 1930, Royal Archives, Windsor, Geo. V., p.476, Letter, Bledisloe to Stamfordham
* ↑ "Mr Forbes premier elect". Evening Star. No. 20490. 22 May 1930. p. 7 – via Papers Past.
* ↑ New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, vol. 226–243 (1930–1935).
* ↑ "Nine trips overseas". Auckland Sun. Vol. IV, no. 1060. 26 August 1930. p. 10 – via Papers Past.
* ↑ Letter, 15 December 1930, Royal Archives, Windsor, Lord Stamfordham to Lord Bledisloe, ref. letter 127
* ↑ Mr Ambassador: Memoirs of Sir Carl Berendsen [Editor: Hon. Hugh Templeton]. Victoria University Press. 2009. p. 113.
* ↑ Sorrenson, Keith, ed. (1988). Na To Hoa Aroha: From Your Dear Friend: The correspondence between Sir Apirana Ngata and Sir Peter Buck 1925–50. Vol. II, 1930–32. Auckland University Press. Letter 8 March 1931.
* ↑ Bassett 1982, p. 55.
* 1 2 Frykberg, Eric (8 November 2024). "The real power list: NZ's Prime Ministers rated". New Zealand Listener. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
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* ↑ "World parley". Auckland Star. Vol. LXIV, no. 108. 10 May 1933. p. 11 – via Papers Past.
* ↑ "National recovery". Evening Star. No. 21491. 16 August 1933. p. 7 – via Papers Past.
* ↑ "King's jubilee". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXII, no. 22043. 25 February 1935. p. 11 – via Papers Past.
* ↑ "London bound". The Northern Advocate. 1 April 1935. p. 4 – via Papers Past.
* ↑ "Papers Past: Northern Advocate, 11 May 1935, Page 9".
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* ↑ "Papers Past: Manawatu Herald, Volume LV, Issue 4475, 2 April 1935, Page 3".
* ↑ "Papers Past: Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 111, 13 May 1935, Page 10".
* ↑ "Nga Taonga Sound & Vision: Election Night 1935, RNZ Collection, Sound recording, broadcast 27 Nov 1935, first speaker Rt. Hon. G.W. Forbes".
* ↑ "Papers Past:North Canterbury Gazette, Volume 5, Issue 1, 29 November 1935, Page 4".
* 1 2 "Hansard Parliamentary debates v.276 1947, June 24 to July 29, page 22".
* ↑ "Papers Past: Otago Daily Times, Issue 21216, 23 December 1930, Page 12".
* 1 2 "Papers Past: Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20129, 7 January 1931, Page 2".
* ↑ "Papers Past: Otago Daily Times, Issue 21200, 4 December 1930, Page 11".
* ↑ "Official jubilee medals". The Evening Post. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
* ↑ Taylor, Alister (1998). The New Zealand Roll of Honour. Alister Taylor. p. 449. ISBN 0-908578-58-X.
* ↑ Private correspondence, Rt. Hon. George Forbes, Leader of the Opposition, to Hon. William Downie Stewart Jr. March 29, 1936. Hocken Collection, University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ.
* ↑ "Papers Past: Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21682, 16 January 1936, Page 12".
* ↑ "New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20859, 29 April 1931, Page 8". Papers Past. 29 April 1931.
* ↑ "Papers Past: Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21701, 7 February 1936, Page 14".
* ↑ Gardner, W.J. (1961). Ends and Means in New Zealand Politics: Chapter IV. The Reform Party (Bulletin No. 60, History Series No. 7. Editor, R.M. Chapman ed.). Auckland University Press. p. 35.
* 1 2 "Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 107, 2 November 1936, Page 10". Papers Past.
* ↑ "Evening Star, Issue 22204, 5 December 1935, Page 17". Papers Past. 5 December 1935.
* ↑ New Zealand Politics in Perspective (Editor Hyam Gold). Chapter 17, The National Party, by G.A. Wood (Third ed.). Longman Paul Limited. 1992. p. 304. ISBN 0 582 85950 6.
* ↑ "Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 44, 20 August 1936, Page 11". Papers Past. 20 August 1936.
* ↑ Carr, Clyde (1936). Politicalities. Wellington, New Zealand: National Magazines Ltd. p. 52.
* ↑ "Papers Past: Evening Star, Issue 23084, 10 October 1938, Page 9".
* ↑ "Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, National Party parliamentarians, 1937".
* ↑ "Papers Past: Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 94, 17 October 1941, Page 6".
* ↑ Scotter, W. Harry (1965). A History of Canterbury: 1876–1950. Vol. III. Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd. p. 424.
* ↑ "Papers Past: Greymouth Evening Star, 19 May 1947, Page 3".
* ↑ See "Architectural competition", Journal of the NZ Institute of Architects, 23 (8): 201, 1956, and Burns, M. M.; Wilson, F. Gordon; Muston, Ronald C. (1957), "The George Forbes Memorial Library", Journal of the NZ Institute of Architects, 24 (3): 70–74
* ↑ "Lincoln University: George Forbes Library description".