Harry Atkinson

Politician

  • Born: November 1, 1831
  • Birthplace: Cheshire, England
  • Died: June 28, 1892
  • Place of death: Wellington, New Zealand

Also known as: Harry Albert Atkinson

Significance: Harry Atkinson was an early British settler of colonial New Zealand who served as the country’s prime minister four times, as well as in other government roles such as colonial treasurer. Known for his austerity policies during the economic depression of the 1870s and 1880s, he balanced conservatism with several liberal causes, including a welfare plan.

Background

One of thirteen children, Harry Atkinson was born on November 1, 1831, in Broxton, Cheshire, England. His father, John, was an architect and stonemason. He was raised primarily in Kent, where he attended the Rochester School. In 1850 he attended a boarding school in Blackheath, where he studied history, theology, colonial affairs, and public administration. He also received much of his education at home.

Atkinson became interested in New Zealand in his teens, especially after one of his older brothers emigrated there. In December 1852 Atkinson, along with a brother and a sister and several friends, sailed from England and traveled to New Zealand. They arrived at New Plymouth in the Taranaki region of the North Island in June 1853. Atkinson joined relatives who had established farms near there and built his own homestead, which he named Hurworth, in the small settlement. There he raised dairy cattle and livestock and worked side jobs selling firewood and transporting mail between New Plymouth and Wellington.

Like many European settlers in New Zealand, Atkinson disregarded Māori land claims. He helped form an unofficial volunteer corps and trained in military action as tensions grew around land disputes. When the Taranaki Wars broke out in 1860, he became a captain in the Taranaki Rifle Volunteers and fought in several battles. During the war of 1863–64, he commanded an irregular bush patrol and again engaged in significant action. He gained much recognition for his leadership during the conflict.

Political Career

Atkinson became involved in politics shortly after his arrival in New Zealand. He was elected to the New Plymouth (later Taranaki) provincial council as the member for Grey and Bell in 1857. He held his seat through 1864, when he left provincial government. He occasionally also held the post of deputy superintendent of Taranaki. From 1861 to 1866 Atkinson also held the Grey and Bell seat in the House of Representatives.

In 1864 Frederick Weld, then premier (or, in modern terms, prime minister), appointed Atkinson his defense minister. Atkinson shared Weld’s policy of self-reliance, including the use of the colony’s own militia rather than soldiers of the British Empire, in its disputes with Māori and the authority for provinces to make decisions regarding native affairs. Atkinson became one of the House’s leading proponents of self-reliance and advocated the building of military settlements. He resigned from the House in 1866, a few months after Weld resigned from his premiership but was reelected in 1867 for the New Plymouth seat. He spent 1868 to 1871 in England, where he attempted to garner support for self-reliance and pro-settler land development policies.

Following his return to New Zealand, Atkinson reentered the House in 1872 as the representative for Egmont. By then, his attention was focused on abolishing the provincial governments and replacing them with a more local administration system connected by a strong central government. He served in Julius Vogel’s administration as the secretary of Crown lands and minister of immigration from September 1874 to July 1875. He held the same portfolios in the next two administrations, from 1875 to 1876.

On September 1, 1876, Atkinson became premier after Vogel’s resignation. His most notable accomplishment was implementing the act that eliminated the provincial councils and set up a central government with local counties and boroughs. However, an economic recession worsened into a depression, and Atkinson grew unpopular as he advocated for fiscal moderation. His administration ended in October 1877.

After his first term as premier, Atkinson served as colonial treasurer and commissioner of customs and stamp duties from 1879 to 1882, and then as colonial treasurer from 1882 to 1883. He also served for an additional three terms as premier. His second stint ran from September 25, 1883, to August 16, 1884, while his third lasted only about a week from August to September 1884. His final and longest term lasted from October 8, 1887, to January 24, 1891. He held a multitude of portfolios during all or parts of that term, including colonial treasury, marine and stamps, trade and customs, telegraphs, postmaster, and education.

Throughout Atkinson’s tenures as premier and treasurer, New Zealand continued to experience an economic depression, which would last through the early 1890s. Atkinson sought to address this challenge by replacing the land tax with a property tax bill and raising customs duties. He reduced government spending for development projects while maintaining funds for public works and kept borrowing to a minimum. His conservative fiscal policies helped to stabilize the economy but were viewed unfavorably by those who favored expansion and increased development. His attempts to address the needs of poor and sick people through a national insurance scheme that provided a pension was considered too radical and was unsuccessful.

In the 1890 election Atkinson lost the government to the Liberals and was succeeded by John Ballance. He then packed the legislative council with opposition members and became speaker of the council. He held that position until his death in office on June 28, 1892.

Impact

Atkinson is remembered as a key figure in colonial New Zealand politics, serving as a steadying force during the transition from provincial to national government. His austere measures during economic depression helped provide a financial foundation for many social reforms during Ballance’s administration. Although he is remembered as a conservative, historians note his more liberal views on issues such as welfare and women’s suffrage. Atkinson was knighted in 1888.

Personal Life

Atkinson and Amelia Jane Skinner married in 1856. They had four children: Harry, Edmund, Frances, and Alfred. His first wife died in 1865, and the next year he married Annie Smith, a cousin. They had three children: Samuel Arnold, Alice, and Harry. Atkinson’s homestead, Hurworth, was donated to Heritage New Zealand in 1967 and restored to its original appearance, serving as a tourist attraction.

Bibliography

“Atkinson, Sir Harry.” Dictionary of National Biography, supplement, Smith, Elder & Co., 1901, p. 83. Internet Archive, archive.org/details/dictionaryofnati0001unse/page/82/mode/2up. Accessed 3 June 2002.

“Atkinson, Sir Harry Albert.” Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, edited by G. H. Scholefield, vol. 1, New Zealand Dept. of Internal Affairs, 1940, pp. 22–25. New Zealand History, nzhistory.govt.nz/files/documents/dnzb-1940/scholefield-dnzb-v1.pdf. Accessed 3 June 2020.

Bassett, Judith. “Atkinson, Harry Albert.” Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, 1990. Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1a10/atkinson-harry-albert. Accessed 3 June 2020.

Bassett, Judith. “Sir Harry Atkinson and the Conservative Faction in New Zealand Politics, 1879–1890.” The New Zealand Journal of History, vol 2, no. 2, 1968, pp. 130–47, www.nzjh.auckland.ac.nz/document.php?wid=1668. Accessed 3 June 2020.

“Hurworth.” Heritage New Zealand, www.heritage.org.nz/places/places-to-visit/taranaki/hurworth. Accessed 3 June 2020.

McLean, Gavin. “Harry Atkinson: Biography.” New Zealand History, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage, 8 Nov. 2017, nzhistory.govt.nz/people/harry-atkinson. Accessed 3 June 2020.