Frederick Whitaker

Frederick Whitaker was born at the Manor House, Bampton, Oxfordshire on 23 April 1812. Whitaker undertook a legal education and became a solicitor and attorney in at the age of 27. A year later he sailed to Australia and then New Zealand.

Whitaker lived in Auckland and was appointed a county court judge until this position was abolished in 1844 when he returned to work as a attorney. He was appointed to the Legislative Council in March 1845. He also served as a major in the militia.

After leaving the Legislative Council in 1846 he became a member again in May 1853. He also became the provincial law office for Auckland in 1854.

Whitaker became New Zealand’s 1^st Attorney-General under responsible Government in the Sewell Ministry in 1856. He served as Attorney-General until 1861 when he resigned from the Council and went back to the law. In October 1863 Whitaker was called upon to form a cabinet to replace Premier Domett after his defeat. The Whitaker Ministry lasted just over a year until it ended in November 1864 after differences with Governor Grey over the conduct of the war. Whitaker also resigned as a member of the Legislative Council. He did serve briefly as MP for Parnell from 1866 to 1867.

In October 1865 he was elected Superintendent of Auckland which office he held until 1867. Then for nine years he stayed out of public office.

In 1876 he became MP for Waikato and later Attorney-General again, under Atkinson. The Atkinson Ministry lasted until October 1877 and Whitaker lost his seat in the House in 1879. However when Premier Hall wanted him to serve as Attorney-General again he was appointed once more to the Legislative Council in 1879. When Hall resigned in April 1882, Whitaker became Premier for the second time serving until September 1883.

Whitaker was made a KCMG in 1884 and did a final spell as Attorney-General and leader of the Legislative Council from 1887 to 1890. His health was failing by then and he dies on 4 December 1891.