John (Jack) Marshall

Born, 1912, Wellington

Died, 1988, aged 76

National Party Prime Minister from 7.February 1972 to 8 December 1972

John Ross Marshall was born in Wellington in 1912. He attended Whangarei High School and then Otago Boys’ High School. Following school in 1930 he went to Victoria University where he graduated with a BA, LLB and finally LLM.

He became a barrister and solicitor in 1936 and was a law lecturer at Victoria University from 1948 to 1951. Before WWII he traveled abroad in Europe and the US and returned in 1940 to enlist. He was commissioned and served with the 36^th Battalion in the Pacific . he took part in the Solomon islands campaign and in 1944 as a Major became 2^nd in command of the 35^th Infantry Battalion. He also fought in 1945 in the final Italian campaign.

In 1946 he was elected MP for Mt Victoria, holding that seat until 1954 when he became MP for Kaori until 1975. After National became Government in 1949 he was appointed Minister assisting the Prime Minister and in 1951 became Minister of Health. After the 1954 he became Attorney-General and Minister of Justice and then when Holland stood down for Holyoake he briefly became Deputy Prime Minister.

National lost in 1957 but was re-elected in 1960 and Marshall was again Deputy Prime Minister and also Minister of Overseas Trade and Industry & Commerce. He kept these portfolios through most of the Holyoake Government. He negotiated NZ access to the EEC, completing this in 1971 and earlier in 1965 signed the Australia Free Trade Agreement which was a precursor to the Closer Economic Relations (CER) Agreement still in force today.

Holyoake stepped down as Leader in 1972 and on 2 February Marshall became Leader and Prime Minister.

National lost the 1972 election and he stood down in favour of Rob Muldoon in July 1974. He retired from Parliament in 1975 after 29 years in Parliament. He was Deputy Leader or Leader of the National Party for 17 years, a Minister for 20 of those years and held 20 different portfolios over that time.

Marshall was a ardent Christian, active in the Presbyterian Church and was President of the NZ Bible Society and World Vice-President of the United Bible Societies. Marshall also was a writer having published a law book, several children’s books and his memoirs.

He died on 30 August 1988 of a heart attack. He was in England at the time en route to the World Council of the United Bible Society.