Bert Kyle

Bert Kyle
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Riccarton
In office
19251943
Preceded byGeorge Witty
Succeeded byJack Watts
Personal details
Born
Herbert Seton Stewart Kyle

(1873-08-29)29 August 1873
Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
Died5 January 1955(1955-01-05) (aged 61)
Christchurch, New Zealand
Political partyReform (1922–36)
National (1936–42)
Independent (1942–43)
OccupationVeterinary surgeon
Farmer

Herbert Seton Stewart Kyle OBE (29 August 1873 – 5 January 1955) was a member of the Reform Party and since 1936 National Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.

Early life and profession[edit]

Kyle was born in Brunswick, Melbourne, Australia, in 1873. He received his education from The Geelong College and the Melbourne Veterinary College. He was a vet in Ballarat until 1899, when he migrated to New Zealand.[1]

He was a New Zealand government vet in Christchurch from 1901 to 1918.[2] Afterwards, he had his private practice in Christchurch.[1]

Member of Parliament[edit]

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1925–1928 22nd Riccarton Reform
1928–1931 23rd Riccarton Reform
1931–1935 24th Riccarton Reform
1935–1936 25th Riccarton Reform
1936–1938 Changed allegiance to: National
1938–1942 26th Riccarton National
1942–1943 Changed allegiance to: Independent

The Christchurch electorate of Riccarton was contested by three candidates in the 1922 election. George Witty was successful, with Kyle coming second and Jack McCullough coming third.[3] Kyle won the Riccarton electorate in the 1925 election, and held it to 1943 when he was defeated (he withdrew).[4]

Independent[edit]

Kyle resigned from the National Party in 1942.[5] He stated: "The National Party organization has built up a watertight compartment that makes one become a 'yes man' with expulsion as an alternative". Kyle thought it "better to retire from the party than to place on it the onus of expulsion, a point which the gentleman (Sid Holland) who moved the resolution was expounding when I left the caucus meeting".[6][7] Kyle remained an Independent until 1943, but did not contest the election in that year.

In 1935, Kyle was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[8] He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for public and local government services, in the 1953 New Year Honours.[9]

Death[edit]

Kyle died on 5 January 1955,[1] and was buried in Bromley Cemetery.[10]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Gustafson 1986, p. 325.
  2. ^ New Zealand Gazette No 50, 27 April 1916;, Public Service List of 28 April, p. 1316
  3. ^ "South Island Seats". Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle. Vol. XVIII, no. 909. 12 December 1922. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  4. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 211.
  5. ^ Wood 1996, p. 117.
  6. ^ Milne 1966, p. 141.
  7. ^ "Mr. Kyle's position". The Evening Post. 5 October 1942. p. 4. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Official jubilee medals". Evening Post. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  9. ^ "No. 39735". The London Gazette (4th supplement). 1 January 1953. p. 44.
  10. ^ "Cemeteries database results detail". Christchurch City Council. Retrieved 13 June 2015.

References[edit]

New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Riccarton
1925–1943
Succeeded by