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Julius Vogel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 8thPremier of New Zealand | |
| In office 8 April 1873 – 6 July 1875 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Governor | James Fergusson George Phipps |
| Preceded by | William Fox |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Pollen |
| In office 15 February 1876 – 1 September 1876 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Governor | George Phipps |
| Preceded by | Daniel Pollen |
| Succeeded by | Harry Atkinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1835-02-24)24 February 1835 London, UK |
| Died | 12 March 1899(1899-03-12) (aged 64) Molesey, Surrey, UK |
| Resting place | Willesden Jewish Cemetery, London, UK |
| Political party | None |
| Spouse | Mary Clayton (m. 1867) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | William Clayton (father-in-law) |
| Signature |  |
Sir Julius VogelKCMG (24 February 1835 – 12 March 1899) was the eighthpremier of New Zealand. His administration is best remembered for the issuing of bonds to fund railway construction and other public works. He was the firstJewish prime minister of New Zealand. Historian Warwick R. Armstrong assesses Vogel's strengths and weaknesses:
Vogel's politics were like his nature, imaginative – and occasionally brilliant – but reckless and speculative. He was an excellent policymaker but he needed a strong leader to restrain him....Yet Vogel had vision. He saw New Zealand as a potential 'Britain of the South Seas', strong both in agriculture and in industry, and inhabited by a large and flourishing population.[1]
Born in London, Vogel received his early education atUniversity College School in University College, Gower St London. He later studiedchemistry andmetallurgy at theRoyal School of Mines (later part ofImperial College London). He emigrated toVictoria, Australia in 1852, being editor of several newspapers on the goldfields, including theInglewoodAdvertiser and theMaryborough and Dunolly Advertiser.[2] After an unsuccessful attempt to enter the Victorian Parliament in theAvoca district inAugust 1861 (he lost toJames Macpherson Grant andBenjamin George Davies),[2][3] he moved toOtago in October 1861, where he became a journalist for theOtago Witness. In November 1861, he founded theOtago Daily Times and became its first editor.[4] In 1863 James Grant was charged with criminal libel against Vogel in an election pamphlet but was found not guilty by a jury.[5][6]
On 19 March 1867, Vogel got married in Dunedin to his neighbour Mary "Polly" Clayton, the daughter of architectWilliam Henry Clayton. They had three sons and one daughter.[4]
Vogel first became involved in politics in 1862, winning election to theprovincial council of Otago.[2] Four years later became the head of the provincial government, a post which he held until 1869.[2]
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1863–1866 | 3rd | Dunedin and Suburbs North | Independent | ||
| 1866–1870 | 4th | Goldfields | Independent | ||
| 1871–1875 | 5th | Auckland East | Independent | ||
| 1876 | 6th | Wanganui | Independent | ||
| 1884–1887 | 9th | Christchurch North | Independent | ||
| 1887–1889 | 10th | Christchurch North | Independent | ||
In 1863 he was unsuccessful in the1863 by-election forDunedin and Suburbs South. Later in an1863 by-election he was elected a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for theDunedin and Suburbs North electorate.[7]
In the1866 election, he was defeated byWilliam Murison in theWaikouaiti electorate on Wednesday, 28 February.[8][9] It is unclear why Vogel stood in Waikouaiti as two days earlier, he had been returned unopposed at the nomination for theGoldfields electorate.[7][10] On retiring from the provincial government in 1869, he joined theWilliam Fox ministry as colonial treasurer,[2] afterward holding the posts of postmaster-general, commissioner of customs, and telegraph commissioner at various times.[4]
In 1870, as Colonial Treasurer he introduced his "grand go-ahead policy" orgreat Public Works policy to revitalise and develop the country by borrowing overseas to build railways, roads and telegraph lines and to attract immigrants.
The Fox ministry having been forced to resign, Vogel carried a vote of no confidence in their successors, and in October 1872, returned to power as leader in the Lower House, colonial treasurer and postmaster-general. He represented several electorates throughout the colony:Dunedin and Suburbs North 1863–1866,Goldfields in Otago 1866–1870,Auckland East 1871–1875,Wanganui 1876 (resigned) andChristchurch North 1884–1889 (resigned).
Vogel successfully contested the1884 election in Christchurch North againstJohn Crewes.[11]
Vogel was the first Member of Parliament to benamed in New Zealand.[12] He was named on 15 November 1887 by theSpeaker of the HouseMaurice O'Rorke for saying that his fellow MemberRobert Thompson was 'want of manners' in a debate about Vogel's use ofconstabulary for household purposes – a charge he denied.[13]
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Vogel was premier from 1873 to 1875 and again in 1876. From 1876 to 1881, he was agent-general for New Zealand in London, and, in 1884, he was again a member of the government of the colony. During his political career, Vogel worked generally successfully for reconciliation with theMāori people. In 1887, he introduced the firstwomen's suffrage Bill to Parliament, but suffrage was not granted until 1893. He was knighted in 1875. He finally gave up the colonial office in 1887; from which date he lived in England and was the Agent-General for New Zealand.
Vogel is best remembered for his "GreatPublic Works" scheme of the 1870s. Before 1870, New Zealand was a country largely dominated by provincial interests and pork-barrel politics. After Vogel, as colonial treasurer, proposed borrowing the massive sum of 10 million pounds, New Zealand developed a significant infrastructure of roads,railways and communication, all administered by central government.
Vogel is also noteworthy as one of the few practisingJewish prime ministers outside Israel. Since Vogel, two other New Zealanders of Jewish descent have held the premiership:Francis Bell, anAnglican who briefly became prime minister in May 1925; andJohn Key, New Zealand's prime minister between 2008 and 2016 who was not religious despite attending synagogue as a child on occasion.[14]Benjamin Disraeli, of Jewish descent but Anglican, wasPrime Minister of the United Kingdom contemporaneously to Vogel's premiership.
Vogel has a reputation as the first New Zealander to write ascience-fiction novel:Anno Domini 2000, or, Woman's Destiny, published in 1889. It anticipated a utopian world where women held many positions of authority. New Zealand went on to becomethe first country to give women the vote, and, from 1997 to 2008, continuously had a female Prime Minister, while for a short period (2005–2006) women simultaneously held all five highest government positions (Monarch,Governor-General, Prime Minister,Speaker of the House andChief Justice).[citation needed]
In honour of this book, theSir Julius Vogel Awards for New Zealand speculative fiction take their name from him.[15]
He died in London, having retired there in 1887 after electoral defeat. He had been an invalid for several years.[16][17]
On his death atEast Molesey in 1899, Vogel was interred inWillesden Jewish Cemetery in London.[18]
Several things bear his name today:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Vogel, Julius".The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Premier of New Zealand 1873–1875 1876 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Daniel Pollen | Succeeded by | |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Postmaster-General 1869–1872 1872–1876 1884 1884–1887 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Oswald Curtis | Succeeded by | |
| Preceded by | Succeeded by | |
| Preceded by William Russell | Succeeded by Harry Atkinson | |
| Preceded by | Electric Telegraph Commissioner 1869–1872 | Position abolished |
| Preceded by Oswald Curtis | Telegraph Commissioner 1873–1875 | |
| New title | Commissioner of Telegraphs 1875–1876 1884 1884–1887 | Succeeded by George McLean |
| Preceded by Richard Oliver | Succeeded by William Russell | |
| Preceded by William Russell | Succeeded by Harry Atkinson | |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | Agent-General of New Zealand in the United Kingdom 1876–1880 | Succeeded by |
| New Zealand Parliament | ||
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Dunedin and Suburbs North 1863–1866 Served alongside:John Richardson | Electorate abolished |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament for Whanganui 1876 Served alongside:John Bryce | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament for Christchurch North 1884–1889 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
