The following is a list of prime ministers of New Zealand by education. The list includes all recognised heads of government, the title of which has included colonial secretary, premier, first minister and prime minister, since the establishment of a responsible government in New Zealand in 1856. James FitzGerald and Thomas Forsaith, who led unofficial ministries in 1854, are not included. [1] [2]
Historically it was not uncommon for New Zealand prime ministers to have little tertiary education, however university attendance has become more common since the 1970s. The most frequently attended university is Victoria University of Wellington with four alumni (Jack Marshall, Geoffrey Palmer, Bill English and Chris Hipkins) having held the office of prime minister, followed by the University of Canterbury with three alumni and the universities of Auckland, Cambridge, and Otago with two alumni each. Only two prime ministers have held doctoral level education (Daniel Pollen and Geoffrey Palmer).
Sir Julius Vogel was the eighth premier of New Zealand. His administration is best remembered for the issuing of bonds to fund railway construction and other public works. He was the first Jewish 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.
Sir Thomas Mackenzie was a Scottish-born New Zealand politician and explorer who briefly served as the 18th prime minister of New Zealand in 1912, and later served as New Zealand High Commissioner in London.
The Reform Party, formally the New Zealand Political Reform League, was New Zealand's second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party. It was in government between 1912 and 1928, and later formed a coalition with the United Party, and then merged with United to form the modern National Party.
William Andrew Veitch was a New Zealand politician. He began his career in the labour movement, but became a strong opponent of more militant socialism, and rejected the radical views held by many of his colleagues.
Michael Edward Rainton Bassett is a former Labour Party member of the New Zealand House of Representatives and cabinet minister in the reformist fourth Labour government. He is also a noted New Zealand historian, and has published a number of books on New Zealand politics, including biographies of Prime Ministers Peter Fraser, Gordon Coates and Joseph Ward.
Hugh Campbell Templeton is a former New Zealand diplomat, politician and member of parliament for the National Party.
Sir George Matthew Fowlds was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party.
The Reverend Colin Graham Scrimgeour, also known as Uncle Scrim or Scrim, was a New Zealand Methodist Minister and broadcaster.
Barry Selwyn Gustafson is a New Zealand political scientist and historian, and a leading political biographer. He served for nearly four decades as professor of political studies at the University of Auckland, and as Acting Director of the New Zealand Asia Institute from 2004 to 2006. He has contested various general elections, first for the Labour Party and later for the National Party, coming second each time.
Sir William Alexander Bodkin was a New Zealand politician of the United Party, and from 1936, the National Party.
Duncan McFadyen Rae was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.
The New Zealand Labour Party leadership election, 1940 was held on 4 April 1940 to choose the fourth leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. The election was won by Wellington Central MP Peter Fraser.
On 3 February 1983, a New Zealand Labour Party leadership election was held to determine the leadership of the New Zealand Labour Party. The leadership was won by Mangere MP David Lange, who had been Deputy Leader of the party since 1979.
The 1889 New Zealand Liberal leadership election was held on 6 July to choose who would lead New Zealand's parliamentary opposition and, ultimately, decide the inaugural leader of the New Zealand Liberal Party. The election was won by Wanganui MP John Ballance.
The 1957 New Zealand National Party leadership election was held to choose the next leader of the New Zealand National Party. The election was won by Pahiatua MP Keith Holyoake.
The First Vogel Ministry was a responsible government which held power in New Zealand from April 1873 to July 1875.
The Fifth Atkinson Ministry was a responsible government in New Zealand, serving from October 1887 to January 1891. It was the last non-party government of New Zealand. It was also the final component of the "Continuous Ministry", a series of conservative governments between 1876 and 1891.
Raewyn Mary Dalziel is a New Zealand historian specialising in New Zealand social history.