Dan Sullivan (New Zealand politician)

Daniel Giles Sullivan (18 July 1882 – 8 April 1947) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister and Mayor of Christchurch.

The Honourable Dan Sullivan
Dan Sullivan in 1941
13th Minister of Railways
In office 26 November 1935 – 12 December 1941
Prime Minister	Michael Joseph Savage Peter Fraser
Preceded by	George Forbes
Succeeded by	Bob Semple
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Avon
In office 17 December 1919 – 8 April 1947
Preceded by	George Warren Russell
Succeeded by	John Mathison
35th Mayor of Christchurch
In office 1931–1936
Preceded by	Rev. John Archer
Succeeded by	John Beanland
Personal details
Born	18 July 1882 Waltham
Died	8 April 1947(1947-04-08) (aged 64) Lewisham Hospital, Wellington
Nationality	New Zealand
Political party	Labour
Signature

Early years

Fairview Street Bridge, built in 1931 during Sullivan's mayoralty

Born in Christchurch in 1882, Sullivan was President/Secretary of the Canterbury French Polishers Union and National Federation of Furniture Trades Unions.

He was a councillor of the Christchurch City Council between 1915–1923 and 1925–1931, and Mayor of Christchurch 1931–1936. When Labour won the 1935 general election and Sullivan took on the heavy workload of a cabinet minister, he reluctantly resigned from the mayoralty in February 1936.[1][2][3] He was succeeded as mayor by John Beanland of the Citizens' Association.[4]

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1919–1922	20th	Avon		Labour
1922–1925	21st	Avon		Labour
1925–1928	22nd	Avon		Labour
1928–1931	23rd	Avon		Labour
1931–1935	24th	Avon		Labour
1935–1938	25th	Avon		Labour
1938–1943	26th	Avon		Labour
1943–1946	27th	Avon		Labour
1946–1947	28th	Avon		Labour

Sullivan first stood for Parliament in the 1908 election as a candidate for the Independent Political Labour League in the Avon electorate; he came fourth out of five candidates in the first ballot.[5] The 1908 election was won by George Warren Russell, who would later become a cabinet minister, and was in 1912 considered a possible successor of Joseph Ward as leader of the Liberal Party.[6] In the 1914 election, Sullivan came second out of three candidates in the same electorate, this time standing for the Social Democratic Party, the successor of the IPLL.[7][8]

In the 1919 election, Russell suffered a crushing defeat by Sullivan. As Minister of Public Health, Russell was held responsible by large parts of the population for New Zealand's unpreparedness for the 1918 flu epidemic.[6] Compared to the 1914 election, Sullivan's share of the vote increased by more than 27 percentage points.[7][9] He represented the Avon electorate in the House of Representatives for 28 years from 1919 to 1947.[10] During the 1920s Sullivan and Jimmy McCombs led the opposition to Harry Holland within the Parliamentary Labour Party caucus.[1]

Sullivan was a significant Cabinet Minister in the First Labour Government of New Zealand: the Minister of Industries and Commerce between 1935–47, Minister of Railways from 1935 to 1941 and the high-profile wartime Minister of Supply and Munitions. He was also Acting Prime Minister from April to July 1944.

In 1935, Sullivan was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[11]

Death and commemoration

Sullivan died on 8 April 1947.[1] Sullivan Avenue in the Christchurch suburb of Woolston was named in Sullivan's honour in 1929.[12] Sullivan Park in Avonside was named for him in 1948.[13]

Notes

1. Watson, James. "Sullivan, Daniel Giles". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
2. "By-Elections for Council". The Press. LXXI (21647). 4 December 1935. p. 10. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
3. "Resignation in February". The Press. LXXII (21680). 14 January 1936. p. 8. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
4. "The By-Election". The Press. LXXII (21730). 12 March 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
5. AtoJs 1908 election 1909, p. 32.
6. Rice, Geoffrey W. "Russell, George Warren". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
7. Hislop, J. (1915). The General Election, 1914. National Library. p. 21. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
8. "The Avon Seat". The Star (11215). 22 October 1914. p. 8. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
9. Hislop, J. (1921). The General Election, 1919. National Library. p. 4. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
10. Wilson 1985, p. 237.
11. "Official jubilee medals". Evening Post. CXIX (105). 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
12. Harper, Margaret. "Christchurch Street Names S" (PDF). Christchurch City Libraries. p. 135. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
13. Harper, Margaret (18 December 2013). "Christchurch Place Names N-Z" (PDF). Christchurch City Libraries. p. 92. Retrieved 16 February 2014.

References

• Gustafson, Barry (1980). Labour's path to political independence: The Origins and Establishment of the New Zealand Labour Party, 1900–19. Auckland, New Zealand: Auckland University Press. ISBN 0-19-647986-X.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Gustafson, Barry (1986). From the Cradle to the Grave: a biography of Michael Joseph Savage. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00138-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) (page 298 of biographical appendix)
• Mansfield, F. W. (1909). The General Election, 1908. National Library. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

External links

• The Hon. D. G. Sullivan, a 1936 biographical article from the New Zealand Railways Magazine
• Robin Hyde on Mr Sullivan and others in Parliament in 1925

New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by George Warren Russell	Member of Parliament for Avon 1919–1947	Succeeded by John Mathison
Political offices
Preceded by John Archer	Mayor of Christchurch 1931–1936	Succeeded by John Beanland
Preceded by Robert Masters	Minister of Industries and Commerce 1935–1947	Succeeded by Arnold Nordmeyer
Preceded by George Forbes	Minister of Railways 1935–1941	Succeeded by Bob Semple
Party political offices
Preceded by James McCombs	Senior Whip of the Labour Party 1921–1935	Succeeded by Bill Jordan