| The Honourable William Fraser QSO | |
|---|---|
| 26th Minister of Defence | |
| In office 10 September 1974 –12 December 1975 | |
| Prime Minister | Bill Rowling |
| Preceded by | Arthur Faulkner |
| Succeeded by | Allan McCready |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for St Kilda | |
| In office 1957 – 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Barnes |
| Succeeded by | Dr Michael Cullen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 July 1924 [1] Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Died | 13 January 2001 (aged 76) Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Political party | Labour |
| New Zealand Parliament | ||||
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 1957 –1960 | 32nd | St Kilda | Labour | |
| 1960 –1963 | 33rd | St Kilda | Labour | |
| 1963 –1966 | 34th | St Kilda | Labour | |
| 1966 –1969 | 35th | St Kilda | Labour | |
| 1969 –1972 | 36th | St Kilda | Labour | |
| 1972 –1975 | 37th | St Kilda | Labour | |
| 1975 –1978 | 38th | St Kilda | Labour | |
| 1978 –1981 | 39th | St Kilda | Labour | |
William Alex Fraser QSO (28 July 1924 – 13 January 2001) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.
The New Zealand Labour Party, or simply Labour, is a centre-left political party in New Zealand. The party's platform programme describes its founding principle as democratic socialism, while observers describe Labour as social-democratic and pragmatic in practice. It is a participant of the international Progressive Alliance.
He represented the Dunedin electorate of St Kilda from 1957 to 1981, when he retired.
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.
St Kilda is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It existed from 1946 to 1996 and was represented by four Members of Parliament.
He was a Cabinet Minister, and was Minister of Defence from 1974 to 1975 in the Third Labour Government.
The Minister of Defence is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for the New Zealand armed forces and the Ministry of Defence.
The Third Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1972 to 1975. During its time in office, it carried out a wide range of reforms in areas such as overseas trade, farming, public works, energy generation, local government, health, the arts, sport and recreation, regional development, environmental protection, education, housing, and social welfare. Māori also benefited from revisions to the laws relating to land, together with a significant increase in a Māori and Island Affairs building programme. In addition, the government encouraged biculturalism and a sense of New Zealand identity. The government lasted for one term before being defeated a year after the death of its popular leader, Norman Kirk.
In the 1992 Queen's Birthday Honours Fraser was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services. [2] He died in Dunedin in 2001, [3] and his ashes were buried in Andersons Bay Cemetery. [4]
The Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in the Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in supplements to the London Gazette and many are conferred by the monarch some time after the date of the announcement, particularly for those service people on active duty.
The Queen's Service Order, established by royal warrant of Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, is used to recognise "valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the public sector, whether in elected or appointed office". This order was created after a review of New Zealand's honours system in 1974. The Queen's Service Order replaced the Imperial Service Order in New Zealand.
Andersons Bay Cemetery is a major cemetery in the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the southeast of the city centre, on a rocky outcrop which forms the inland part of Lawyer's Head, a promontory which juts into the Pacific Ocean. The cemetery is bounded on the western and southern sides by Chisholm Park Golf Links, and to the east by steep slopes which descend to the Tomahawk Lagoon. Despite its name, the cemetery is located in the suburb of Tahuna, which lies immediately to the south of the suburb of Andersons Bay, and almost 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from the former bay itself, at the head of the Otago Harbour.
