Whitaker, Frederick (1812-1891), was a powerful political figure in colonial New Zealand for more than 40 years. He served as prime minister, or premier, of New Zealand—then a British colony—in 1863 and 1864 and in 1882 and 1883. He also served many years as the attorney general of New Zealand. Whitaker encouraged British expansion in the Pacific and the confiscation of Māori << MOW ree or MAH ree >> lands for British settlement.
Early life and family.
Frederick Whitaker was born on April 23, 1812, in Bampton, Oxfordshire, England. His parents were Frederick Whitaker, a magistrate (law officer), and Susanna Humfrey. In January 1839, young Frederick earned his law degree, and he left that October for Australia. In March 1840, Whitaker left Australia and sailed for New Zealand, where he settled in the North Island town of Kororāreka (now Russell). There, he practiced law and began a land speculation business. In April 1841, Auckland became the capital of the new British colony of New Zealand, and Whitaker moved there.
In 1842, Whitaker became a county judge, but he returned to private law practice only two years later. On March 4, 1843, he married Jane Augusta Griffith, a stepdaughter of Alexander Shepherd, then the colonial treasurer of New Zealand. Whitaker and his wife had four sons and four daughters. Whitaker maintained a successful private law practice while pursuing a series of largely unsuccessful mining ventures at Great Barrier and Kawau islands.
Political career.
In 1845, Whitaker briefly served in New Zealand’s Legislative Council, a small, appointed group that mainly advised the governor. In 1848, after a two-year visit to England, Whitaker returned to New Zealand and resumed his legal practice. In May 1853, Whitaker was appointed to the first Legislative Council under New Zealand’s new constitution. The council now served as the upper house of the colonial Parliament. Whitaker also became Auckland’s provincial solicitor. He was named acting attorney general of New Zealand in 1855 and became attorney general in 1856. He would hold that position on several occasions between 1856 and 1891.
When the government led by Edward William Stafford was defeated in 1861, Whitaker resigned as attorney general and returned to his private practice. In 1863, however, he was called back to public service, again as attorney general. Later that year, he replaced Alfred Domett as prime minister of New Zealand. Whitaker took office on Oct. 30, 1863, serving as both prime minister and attorney general. His ministry lasted just over a year. Whitaker and New Zealand governor Sir George Grey disagreed on the conduct of ongoing conflicts with Māori, a Polynesian people who were New Zealand’s original inhabitants. Whitaker was determined to crush Māori rebellions and actively supported the confiscation of their lands for European settlement. Whitaker stepped down as prime minister on Nov. 24, 1864, and then resigned his seat in the Legislative Council.
In the mid-1860’s, Whitaker briefly served as a member of the House of Representatives, the elected lower house of Parliament, and as the superintendent of Auckland province. He then returned to his private legal practice while investing in mining and timber operations. He became a large shareholder in the Bank of New Zealand and served on the boards of several overseas companies.
Whitaker returned as a member of the House of Representatives in 1876, and he soon resumed his post as attorney general. In 1879, he was once again appointed to the Legislative Council and on April 21, 1882, Whitaker returned as prime minister. He served until Sept. 25, 1883, when business and personal interests forced him to resign. In recognition of his lengthy services to the colony, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom knighted Whitaker in 1884.
Final years.
Whitaker’s many commercial interests included real estate, mining, insurance, and mortgage finance. He was also managing director of the Fiji Banking and Commercial Company, part of the Bank of New Zealand. Failed business endeavors and a poor New Zealand economy brought Whitaker to the brink of financial ruin in his final years. He died at his home in Auckland on Dec. 4, 1891.
