George Hutchison (New Zealand politician)

Hutchison was born in Dundee, Scotland, in 1846. He was a son of William Hutchison, later a Wellington Mayor and Member of Parliament. Hutchison Jr received his education in Ireland and Scotland until age 15. He came to New Zealand with his parents in 1866.[1] His father, a journalist, had been hired by The Southern Cross newspaper in Auckland.[2]

Hutchison Jr studied law and from 1872, he practised in Wanganui and then Wellington.[1] He married Agnes Hogg, the daughter of Rev. David Hogg, on 31 March 1874 at Wanganui.[3]

His first attempt at entering the New Zealand House of Representatives was in April 1875, when he stood in the Rangitikei by-election. He performed poorly and of the three candidates, he came last with 11% of the vote.[4] His father was successful in the City of Wellington electorate in the 1879 election.[5] Hutchison Jr announced his candidacy in the 1881 election in the Waitotara electorate, but stood aside in favour of John Bryce; he instead stood in the Egmont electorate against Harry Atkinson but was unsuccessful.[1] In the 1884 election, he stood in the Taranaki electorate.[1]

He represented the Waitotara electorate from 1887, when he defeated Bryce, to 1893, and then Patea from 1893 to 1901, when he resigned to move to South Africa.[1][5] He was an independent conservative MP, and a lawyer.[5] He contested the 1893 election against William Cowern.[6] For six years (from 1890 to 1896) George and his father were in Parliament at the same time, and were often seen glaring at each other from opposite sides of the house.[7]

When parliament opened in 1901, there were questions asked of the Speaker as to when he actually resigned, and it was intimated that he had actually resigned eight or nine months earlier.[8] His seat was declared vacant, and he was replaced as a result of the 1901 by-election.

Hutchison went to South Africa during 1899 as a legal adviser for Lord Roberts during the Second Boer War.[9] He returned to South Africa in 1901 and practised law for a few years.[1] He came back to Taranaki in January 1906[10][11] and by 1908 had resumed his law practice in Wanganui.[12] Hutchison stood in the Wanganui electorate in the 1908 election, but was defeated by James Thomas Hogan in the second ballot.[13] He then spent two years in England before he returned to Auckland, where he lived for the remaining years of his life. He died on 30 July 1930 at the Auckland suburb of Saint Heliers.[1][9]