Sir Sidney Holland

Born, 1893, Greendale, New Zealand

Died, 1961, Wellington, New Zealand, aged 67

National Party Prime Minister from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957

Sidney George Holland was born in Greendale on 18 October 1893. Sidney attended West Christchurch District High School and then worked in a hardware firm and later his father’s haulage business.

He enlisted for WWI and served in the NZ Expeditionary Force as a commissioned artillery officer. He contacted hydatids at the battle of Messines and while eventually recovering, had only one lung thereafter.

Sidney’s father, Henry Holland, was an MP and Sidney was his campaign organiser in 1925 when he was first elected. When Henry stood down for health reasons in 1935 Sidney was the logical successor being elected as MP for Fendalton in 1935. Sidney was well known as a South Island hockey representative, and was a former Chair or President of the local Citizens’ Association, Businessmen’s Club and Employers Association.

In 1936 the remnants of the Liberal-United and Reform parties set up the New Zealand National Party and elected Adam Hamilton as Leader. Hamilton though as a previous Minister in the coalition government was not popular with the public and in November 1940 Holland was elected Leader.

In June 1942 Holland joined the bi-partisan War Cabinet as Deputy Chairman. However he resigned with other National MPs in October the same year to protest the Government’s concessions to striking coal miners.

In 1946 National and Holland narrowly lost by four seats but in 1949 Holland became Prime Minister with a 12 seat majority.

Holland dismantled many state controls and also abolished the Legislative Council. He strongly campaigned on ending "industrial anarchy". In 1951 the Government got embroiled in an industrial dispute with the watersiders and later the coal miners. The confrontation lasted for months and Holland called a snap election on the issue, and to the surprise of many, it resulted in a huge victory for the National Government. Holland is most remembered for his handling of the strike and snap election called on it.

Holland’s National Party was re-elected in 1954. Early in 1957 Holland’s health noticeably declined and Keith Holyoake replaced him as Prime Minister and National Party Leader on September 26 1957, just a few weeks before the general election which National lost.

Sidney Holland died on 5 August 1961 after continued deterioration in his health..