Norman Eric Kirk served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974 and led the New Zealand Labour Party from 1965 to 1972. Kirk had a reputation as the most formidable debater of his time. A commanding presence, Kirk impressed both for his strength of personality and for his devotion to his work. January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1923 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Panorama of the view from the white horse overlooking Waimate township Waimate is a town and district in the South Island of New Zealand. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... Alternative meanings at Wellington (disambiguation) A view of Wellington from the top of Mount Victoria. ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian evangelical denomination, as well as a charity and social services organisation, with international headquarters at 101 Queen Victoria Street London, England. ... The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. ... John Ross Marshall (1912 - 1988), generally known as Jack Marshall, was a New Zealand politician. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... Sir Wallace Edward Rowling KCMG, (15 November 1927 - 31 October 1995), often known as Bill Rowling, was a Prime Minister of New Zealand. ... The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealands head of government and is the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. ...

Norman Kirk was born on 6 January 1923 in Waimate, a town in South Canterbury, New Zealand. He came from a strong working class background, and his household could not afford things such as daily newspapers or a radio. January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1923 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Panorama of the view from the white horse overlooking Waimate township Waimate is a town and district in the South Island of New Zealand. ... The New Zealand region of Canterbury mostly comprises the Canterbury Plains. ... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ...

Kirk did not perform well at school, and left shortly before he turned thirteen. Despite this, however, he enjoyed reading, and often visited libraries. In particular, he enjoyed the study of history and geography, perhaps the source of his future interest in foreign affairs. Modern-style library In its traditional sense, a library is a collection of books and periodicals. ... ...

After leaving school, Kirk worked in a number of jobs, initially as an assistant roof-painter and later as a railway engineer. His health, however, deteriorated, and when the New Zealand Army called him up for military service in 1941 it found him medically unfit. After recovering somewhat, he returned to work, holding a number of different jobs. 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In 1943, aged twenty, Kirk married Lucy Ruth Miller. They would eventually have three sons and two daughters. 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ...

Also in 1943, Kirk joined the Labour Party's branch in Kaiapoi, where he and his wife had chosen to build a house. (Kirk built the house entirely himself, right down to the casting of the bricks. It still stands in Kaiapoi.)

By 1951, Kirk had become Chairman of the party's Hurunui electorate committee. In 1953, Kirk led Labour to a surprising victory in elections for Kaiapoi's local council, himself becoming the youngest mayor in the country. 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

As mayor, Kirk showed great activity and implemented many changes. He surprised officials by studying issues intensely, often emerging with better knowledge of his options than the people functioning as advisors.

In 1954, Kirk stood as the Labour candidate for the Hurunui parliamentary seat. While he increased Labour's share of the vote considerably, he did not win. In 1957, however, Kirk won the electorate of Lyttelton, reclaiming it for Labour after its surprise loss to the National Party in the previous elections. 1954 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lyttelton on a sunny day Lyttelton (43. ... Current National Party logo The New Zealand National Party currently forms the second-largest (in terms of seats) political party in the New Zealand Parliament, and thus functions as the core of the Opposition. ...

Throughout his political career, Kirk promoted the welfare state, supporting government spending for housing, health, employment, and education. As such, Kirk often appeared as a champion for ordinary New Zealanders. His working-class background also gave him some advantage, as ordinary voters saw many other politicians as out of touch and aloof. There are three main interpretations of the idea of a welfare state: the provision of welfare services by the state. ...

Gradually, Kirk began to rise through Labour's internal hierarchy, becoming vice-president of the Party in 1963 and president in 1964. At the end of 1965 he successfully challenged Arnold Nordmeyer for the parliamentary leadership. 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... The Honourable Sir Heinrich Arnold Nordmeyer, ONZ, KCMG, (1901 - 1989), often later known as Arnold Henry Nordmeyer, was a New Zealand politician. ...

Kirk remained Leader of the Opposition until 1972, when Labour replaced the National government of Jack Marshall. As Prime Minister, Kirk set a frenetic pace, implementing a great number of new policies. In particular, the Kirk government intervened far more than its predecessor in foreign relations, with Kirk taking great trouble to expand New Zealand's links with Asia and Africa. The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest opposition party in a Westminster System of parliamentary government. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... John Ross Marshall (1912 - 1988), generally known as Jack Marshall, was a New Zealand politician. ...

Two subjects in particular caused comment. One: Kirk's strong protest against French nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific Ocean. The other: his refusal to allow a visit by a South African rugby team, a decision he made because the apartheid regime in South Africa would not accept racial integration for that sport. The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... Rugby football, as a catch-all term, may refer to two related but separate team sports: rugby league and rugby union. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... Racial integration, or simply integration, in United States usage, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation). ...

Kirk kept up an intense schedule, and rarely took vacation time. Perhaps as a result, his health began to decline once more. At the end of 1973, he developed heart problems, but recovered. Despite his illness, Kirk refused to reduce his workload by any significant degree. By August 1974, Kirk's situation had worsened, and he was finally persuaded to enter hospital. Three days later he died of heart problems, aged 51. A state funeral, attended by thousands, took place on 6 September 1974. His final resting place was his hometown, Waimate. 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... September 6 is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years). ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ...

 

Prime Minister of New Zealand
Preceded by: Jack Marshall	(1972-1974)	Succeeded by: Bill Rowling
Sewell | Fox | Stafford | Domett | Whitaker | Weld | Waterhouse | Vogel | Pollen | Atkinson | Grey | Hall | Stout | Ballance | Seddon | Hall-Jones | Ward | Mackenzie | Massey | Bell | Coates | Forbes | Savage | Fraser | Holland | Nash | Holyoake | Marshall | Kirk | Rowling | Muldoon | Lange | Palmer | Moore | Bolger | Shipley | Clark

The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealands head of government and is the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand. ... New Zealand coat of arms This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... John Ross Marshall (1912 - 1988), generally known as Jack Marshall, was a New Zealand politician. ... Sir Wallace Edward Rowling KCMG, (15 November 1927 - 31 October 1995), often known as Bill Rowling, was a Prime Minister of New Zealand. ... Henry Sewell (1807 - 1879) was a prominent 19th century New Zealand politician. ... Sir William Fox KCMG served as Premier of New Zealand on four occasions in the 19th century, while New Zealand was still a colony. ... Edward William Stafford (1819 - 1901) served as Premier of New Zealand on three occasions in the mid 19th century. ... Alfred Domett (20 May 1811 - 2 November 1887) was a British colonial statesman and poet. ... Frederick Whitaker was a former Prime Minister of New Zealand. ... Frederick Aloysius Weld (1823 - 1891) was a New Zealand politician and a governor of various British colonies. ... George Marsden Waterhouse (born April 6, 1824 Penzance, Cornwall, England–died August 6, 1906 Torquay, Devonshire, England) was a Premier of South Australia from October 8, 1861 until July 3, 1863 and Premier of New Zealand from 11 October 1872 to 3 March 1873. ... Sir Julius Vogel (February 24, 1835 - March 12, 1899) was New Zealands first Jewish prime minister. ... Daniel Pollen was a former Prime Minister of New Zealand. ... Harry Albert Atkinson served as Premier of New Zealand on four separate occasions in the late 19th century. ... George Edward Grey Statue of Sir George Grey in Albert Park, Auckland Sir George Edward Grey KCB (April 14, 1812 - September 19, 1898 ) was a soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony (South Africa), Premier of New Zealand and a writer. ... John Hall (December 18, 1824 - June 25, 1907) was the Prime Minister of New Zealand. ... Robert Stout (1844 - 1930) was Premier of New Zealand on two occasions in the late 19th century. ... John Ballance (March 27, 1839 - 27 April 1893), served as Premier of New Zealand at the end of the 19th century, and was the founder of the Liberal Party (the countrys first organized political party). ... Richard John Seddon (1845 - 1906), sometimes known as King Dick, was the longest serving Prime Minister of New Zealand. ... William Hall-Jones was a former Prime Minister of New Zealand. ... This article is about the New Zealand prime minister. ... Sir Thomas Mackenzie, (1854-1930) was Prime Minister of New Zealand in 1912, and later served as High Commissioner. ... William Ferguson Massey (often known simply as Bill Massey) served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1912 to 1925, and was the founder of the Reform Party. ... The Right Honourable Francis Bell (1851 – 13 March 1936) was the first New Zealand-born Prime Minister. ... This article is about the New Zealand prime minister. ... George William Forbes (12 March 1869 - 17 May 1947) was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935. ... Michael Joseph Savage (March 23, 1872 - March 27, 1940) was a New Zealand politician and the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand. ... The Right Honourable Peter Fraser (1884 - 1950) served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 27 March 1940 until 13 December 1949. ... Sidney George Holland (1893-1961) was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1949 to 1957. ... Walter Nash (12 February 1882 - 4 June 1968) served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1957 to 1960, and was also highly influential in his role as Minister of Finance. ... The Right Honorable Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake, KG, GCMG, CH, QSO was a New Zealand politician. ... John Ross Marshall (1912 - 1988), generally known as Jack Marshall, was a New Zealand politician. ... Sir Wallace Edward Rowling KCMG, (15 November 1927 - 31 October 1995), often known as Bill Rowling, was a Prime Minister of New Zealand. ... The Right Honourable Sir Robert David (Rob) Muldoon KCMG CH (25 September 1921–5 August 1992) served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984. ... The Right Honourable David Russell Lange (pronounced Long-ee), CH, ONZ (4 August 1942 Thames, New Zealand – 13 August 2005 Auckland, New Zealand), served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. ... The Right Honourable Sir Geoffrey Winston Russell Palmer, AC, KCMG (born 21 April 1942), served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from August 1989 until September 1990, leading the Labour Party. ... This page is about the New Zealand politician and Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. ... The Right Honourable James Brendan Jim Bolger, ONZ, (born 31 May 1935) was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. ... Jennifer Mary Shipley née Robson (born February 4, 1952), Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, served as New Zealands first woman Prime Minister, and led the centre-right National Party. ... The Right Honourable Helen Elizabeth Clark (born February 26, 1950) has served as Prime Minister of New Zealand since December 1999. ...