The Postmaster-General in New Zealand was the government minister responsible for the New Zealand Post Office (NZPO) from 1858 to 1989, when the NZPO (formerly the Post and Telegraph Department) was split into three State Owned Enterprises, responsible to the Minister of State Owned Enterprises: New Zealand Post Limited, Telecom New Zealand Limited, and Post Office Bank Limited.
History From 1841 to 1853 the Postmaster-General was a civil servant, responsible to the Postmaster-General of New South Wales (1841–42) then the Postmaster-General of Great Britain (1842–53).
Governor Sir George Grey appointed Henry William Petre to be Postmaster-General on 13 August 1853, but his appointment was not accepted by the First Parliament that met in 1854, and he left for England early in the new year.
Office holders The following MPs have held the office of Postmaster-General:
Key
No. Name Portrait Term of Office Prime Minister 1 Henry Tancred 3 November 1858 12 July 1861 Stafford 2 Crosbie Ward 2 August 1861 6 August 1862 Fox 3 Walter Mantell 6 August 1862 21 August 1862Domett (2) Crosbie Ward 21 August 1862 30 October 1863 4 Thomas Gillies 30 October 1863 24 November 1864 Whitaker 5 John Richardson 24 November 1864 16 October 1865 Weld 6 Edward Stafford 31 October 1865 8 May 1866Stafford 7 James Paterson 8 May 1866 24 August 1866 8 John Hall 24 August 1866 5 February 1869 (6) Edward Stafford 6 February 1869 28 June 1869 9 Julius Vogel 6 February 1869 10 September 1872 Fox 10 Oswald Curtis 10 September 1872 11 October 1872 Stafford(9)Julius Vogel11 October 18721 September 1876 Waterhouse Fox Vogel Pollen Vogel 11 George McLean 1 September 1876 13 September 1876Atkinson 12 Frederick Whitaker 13 September 1876 7 December 1876 13 John Davies Ormond 7 December 1876 12 January 1877 (11) George McLean 12 January 1877 13 October 1877 14 James Temple Fisher 15 October 1877 8 October 1879 Grey (8) John Hall 8 October 1879 9 March 1881 Hall 15 Walter Johnston 9 March 1881 11 October 1882 Whitaker 16 Thomas Dick 11 October 1882 25 September 1883 17 Richard Oliver 25 September 1883 16 August 1884 Atkinson (9) Julius Vogel 16 August 1884 28 August 1884 Stout 18 William Russell 28 August 1884 3 September 1884 Atkinson (9) Julius Vogel 3 September 1884 8 October 1887 Stout 19 Harry Atkinson 8 October 1887 17 October 1889Atkinson 20 Edwin Mitchelson 17 October 1889 24 January 1891 21 Patrick Buckley 24 January 1891 4 February 1891 Ballance Seddon 22 Joseph Ward 4 February 1891 16 June 1896 23 Richard Seddon 16 June 1896 21 December 1899 (22) Joseph Ward 21 December 1899 28 March 1912 Hall-Jones Ward 24 Harry Ell 28 March 1912 10 July 1912 MacKenzie 25 Heaton Rhodes 10 July 1912 12 August 1915Massey (22) Joseph Ward 12 August 1915 4 September 1919 26Gordon Coates 4 September 1919 30 May 1925 Bell 27 James Parr 30 May 1925 24 May 1926Coates 28 William Nosworthy 24 May 1926 10 December 1928 29 James Donald 10 December 1928 18 December 1929Ward (22) Joseph Ward 18 December 1929 28 May 1930 (29) James Donald 28 May 1930 22 September 1931 Forbes 30 Adam Hamilton 22 September 1931 6 December 193531Fred Jones6 December 19351 April 1940 SavageFraser 32 Paddy Webb 1 April 1940 19 December 1946 33 Fred Hackett 19 December 1946 13 December 1949 34 Walter Broadfoot 13 December 1949 26 November 1954 Holland 35 Tom Shand 26 November 1954 12 December 1957 Holyoake 36 Mick Moohan 12 December 1957 12 December 1960 Nash 37 Thomas Hayman 12 December 1960 2 May 1961 Holyoake 38 Arthur Kinsella 2 May 1961 20 December 1963 39 Jack Scott 20 December 1963 22 December 1969 40 Allan McCready 22 December 1969 9 February 1972 41 Bert Walker 9 February 1972 8 December 1972 Marshall 42 Roger Douglas 8 December 1972 10 September 1974 Kirk 43 Fraser Colman 10 September 1974 12 December 1975 Rowling 44 Hugh Templeton 12 December 1975 8 March 1977 Muldoon 45 Peter Wilkinson 8 March 1977 13 December 1978 46 Ben Couch 13 December 1978 22 August 1980 47 Warren Cooper 22 August 1980 11 December 1981 48 John Falloon 11 December 1981 19 February 1982 49 Rob Talbot 19 February 1982 26 July 1984 50 Jonathan Hunt 26 July 1984 24 August 1987 Lange 51 Richard Prebble 24 August 1987 5 November 1988 52 David Butcher 5 November 1988 14 August 1989 Palmer
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