Vogel, << VOH guhl, >> Sir Julius (1835-1899), was the first Jewish premier, or prime minister, of New Zealand. Vogel served twice as prime minister of New Zealand—from April 1873 to July 1875 and from February to September 1876. New Zealand at that time was a colony of the United Kingdom. For his first term, Vogel succeeded Prime Minister William Fox. Daniel Pollen served as prime minister between Vogel’s two terms. Political parties as we know them did not exist in New Zealand at that time, and Vogel belonged to no party.
Vogel helped develop New Zealand by attracting immigrants from Europe and by expanding railroad, shipping, and telegraph services. Vogel was also a journalist and author. In 1889, he wrote what was probably the first full-length science-fiction novel by a New Zealander, Anno Domini 2000: Or Woman’s Destiny.
Early life
Boyhood and education.
Vogel was born on Feb. 24, 1835, in London. His parents were Albert Leopold Vogel and Phoebe Isaac Vogel. Julius had an older sister, Frances, and a younger brother, Lewis. Julius’s parents separated when he was a little boy, and the children were raised by their mother in her parents’ home. Governesses (private teachers) taught Julius at home until he was 11. He then attended the University College School, a school for boys in London, and later a Jewish boarding school in Ramsgate, England. 
When Julius was 15 years old, he went to work for his grandfather Alexander Isaac. Isaac was a merchant trading with South America and the West Indies. Young Julius became interested in immigrating to Australia, where gold had recently been discovered. To prepare, he studied chemistry and metallurgy (the science of metals) at the Government School of Mines in London (later the Royal School of Mines, now part of University College London).
Move to Australia.
In 1852, Vogel immigrated to the British colony of Victoria in Australia. He set up an office in Melbourne that tested ore to find out how much gold it contained. In 1854, he moved to the new gold-mining town of Maryborough. There, he sold patent (nonprescription) medicines and other supplies to the miners. In 1855, he set up a drugstore in a tent in Dunolly.
Journalism.
In 1856, Vogel became a reporter for a Melbourne newspaper called The Argus, often writing stories about the gold rush. From 1856 to 1859, he edited The Maryborough & Dunolly Advertiser. In 1859, he started his own newspaper, the Inglewood and Sandy Creek Advertiser, which he owned and edited until 1861. He also worked for the Talbot Leader and North Western Chronicle in 1860 and 1861. In 1861, Vogel ran for a seat in Victoria’s Legislative Assembly but was defeated.
Move to New Zealand.
After his election loss, Vogel moved to Dunedin, the capital of Otago Province in New Zealand’s South Island. There had been reports of new gold discoveries in the area. In November 1861, he and his partner, William H. Cutten, founded the Otago Daily Times, the first daily newspaper in New Zealand. Vogel also edited the publication, which quickly became the town’s leading paper. In 1871, he bought the Auckland newspaper the Daily Southern Cross.
Marriage and family life.
On March 19, 1867, Vogel married Mary Clayton, the daughter of a Dunedin architect who was his neighbor. The couple had three sons and one daughter—Harry, Francis, Julius, and Phoebe.
Perhaps under the influence of his wife, Vogel became an early supporter of women’s rights. In 1887, he introduced the first woman suffrage (voting rights) bill into Parliament. In 1893, New Zealand became the first country to give women full voting rights.
Political career
Entry into politics.
Vogel became interested in politics while serving as editor of the Otago Daily Times. He joined the Chamber of Commerce and other community organizations. In 1863, he was elected to the Otago Provincial Council. In 1866, he became head of the provincial government and provincial treasurer. He held these posts until 1869.
Vogel also won election to the New Zealand House of Representatives in September 1863. He remained in the House for most of the time from 1863 to 1876 and from 1884 to 1889. He switched voting districts often during his parliamentary career. He represented Dunedin from 1863 to 1866, Goldfields in Otago from 1866 to 1870, Auckland City East from 1871 to 1875, Wanganui in 1876, and Christchurch North from 1884 to 1889.
During the 1860’s, Vogel argued for the independence of New Zealand’s South Island. Since 1860, settlers in the North Island had fought the native Māori << MOW ree or MAH ree >> people over land rights. Vogel urged the South Island to separate from the North Island to avoid the financial burdens of the conflict, called the New Zealand Wars. However, the two islands remained united.
Cabinet member.
In 1869, Vogel resigned from the provincial government and became treasurer in the government of Prime Minister William Fox. Vogel quickly became one of the most powerful men in the government. From 1869 to 1876, he held a number of appointed and elected positions. Besides colonial treasurer, he served at various times as postmaster general, commissioner of customs, telegraph commissioner, and minister of immigration.
New Zealand’s economy had fallen into a slump after the boom years of the gold rush. To revive the economy, Vogel urged the construction of roads, railways, bridges, and telegraph lines. Such development, he believed, would create jobs and encourage business growth. He also planned to purchase Māori land for settlement and to provide government aid to bring thousands of immigrants to New Zealand. He traveled twice to London to obtain loans to finance these development projects.
Prime minister.
Vogel’s economic policy, known as Vogelism, was popular at first. However, when the policy failed to bring results by 1872, voters turned Prime Minister Fox out of office. Vogel remained as colonial treasurer and the most powerful official in government. Fox’s immediate successors were Edward Stafford and George Waterhouse, both of whom held office only briefly. On April 8, 1873, Vogel became prime minister. He also continued to serve as treasurer.
As prime minister, Vogel issued bonds to finance construction of transportation and communication networks. He established the State Insurance Office, a government-owned life insurance company. He also created the New Zealand Public Trustee to administer the estates of people who had died.
At the time of Vogel’s prime ministership, New Zealand was divided into six provinces: Auckland, New Plymouth, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury, and Otago. Each province had its own legislature, called a provincial council. Vogel wanted to reduce the power of the provincial governments and strengthen New Zealand’s central government. At his urging, Parliament passed the Abolition of Provinces Act 1875, which ended the provincial councils.
Many people objected to the abolition of the provincial governments. Some also disapproved of Vogel’s practice of taking long absences from the country to raise money. Vogel became so unpopular that he was forced to resign on July 6, 1875. Vogel’s aide Daniel Pollen, the colonial secretary of New Zealand, then served as caretaker prime minister.
In 1875, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom granted Vogel a knighthood, and he became known as Sir Julius Vogel. Sir Julius again became prime minister on Feb. 15, 1876. He held office until he resigned on September 1. Vogel then accepted an appointment as New Zealand’s agent general in London—the colony’s second-highest representative in England under the high commissioner.
Colonial treasurer again.
Sir Julius served as agent general from 1876 to 1881. He ran for a seat in the British Parliament in 1880 but was defeated. In 1882, he returned to New Zealand.
In 1884, Sir Julius won election to the New Zealand House of Representatives as the member for Christchurch North. Under Prime Minister Robert Stout, Sir Julius again became colonial treasurer and one of most powerful men in government. New Zealand was suffering a recession, and he tried various measures to revive the economy. In 1885, for example, he helped organize the New Zealand Industrial Exhibition in Wellington. The exhibition displayed the products of New Zealand industry, including farm and factory machinery, musical instruments, and even perfume. Stout’s government was defeated in the 1887 general election. Sir Julius kept his seat, however, and served briefly as leader of the opposition.
Later years
In 1888, Sir Julius resigned from Parliament. He then moved back to London and cut his ties with New Zealand. In retirement, he devoted himself to writing. He contributed many articles to leading British newspapers and magazines. In 1889, he completed a science-fiction novel titled Anno Domini 2000: Or Woman’s Destiny. The book depicted an ideal future in which poverty did not exist and women held many positions of authority. Many of the book’s predictions came true. By 2000, New Zealand’s prime minister, governor general, attorney general, and chief justice were all women.
In 1893, Sir Julius’s son Francis was killed while fighting the Ndebele people in what became Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Sir Julius was already in poor health, and his son’s death plunged him into sadness. He suffered from a painful joint disease called gout and used a wheelchair to get around. Vogel died of a heart attack on March 12, 1899, in East Molesey, England.
In 2001, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand established the Sir Julius Vogel Awards in his honor. The awards are given annually to outstanding achievements in science fiction.
