List of prime ministers of New Zealand by education explained
The following is a list of prime ministers of New Zealand by education. The list includes all recognised heads of government, the title of which has included colonial secretary, premier, first minister and prime minister, since the establishment of a responsible government in New Zealand in 1856. James FitzGerald and Thomas Forsaith, who led unofficial ministries in 1854, are not included.[1] [2]
Historically it was not uncommon for New Zealand prime ministers to have little tertiary education, however university attendance has become more common since the 1970s. The most frequently attended university is Victoria University of Wellington with four alumni (Jack Marshall, Geoffrey Palmer, Bill English and Chris Hipkins) having held the office of prime minister, followed by the University of Canterbury with three alumni and the universities of Auckland, Cambridge, and Otago with two alumni each. Only two prime ministers have held doctoral level education (Daniel Pollen and Geoffrey Palmer).
List of New Zealand prime ministers by education
| Prime Minister | Term(s) of office | Secondary School | University | Professional training |
|---|
| Henry Sewell | 1856 | Hyde Abbey School | | |
| William Fox | 1856
1861–1862
1869–1872
1873 | Durham School | Wadham College, Oxford (MA) | Inns of Court Inner Temple
|
| Edward Stafford[3] | 1856–1861
1865–1869
1872 | | Trinity College Dublin (no degree) | |
| Alfred Domett | 1862–1863 | Stockwell Park House | St John's College, Cambridge (no degree) | Inns of Court Middle Temple
|
| Frederick Whitaker | 1863–1864
1882–1883 | unknown | | |
| Frederick Weld[4] | 1864–1865 | Stonyhurst College | | |
| George Waterhouse[5] | 1872–1873 | Kingswood School | | |
| Julius Vogel | 1873–1875
1876 | University College School | | Royal School of Mines |
| Daniel Pollen[6] | 1875–1876 | unknown | unknown (MD) | |
| Harry Atkinson[7] | 1876–1877
1883–1884
1884
1887–1891 | | | |
| George Grey[8] | 1877–1879 | Royal Grammar School | | Royal Military College, Sandhurst |
| John Hall[9] | 1879–1882 | unknown | | |
| Robert Stout[10] [11] | 1884
1884–1887 | Lerwick Academy | University of Otago (no degree) | |
| John Ballance | 1891–1893 | Wilson's Academy | | Birmingham and Midland Institute |
| Richard Seddon | 1893–1906 | Eccleston Hill Grammar School | | |
| William Hall-Jones | 1906 | | | |
| Joseph Ward | 1906–1912
1928–1930 | | | |
| Thomas Mackenzie | 1912 | North Dunedin District School | | |
| William Massey | 1912–1925 | unknown | | |
| Francis Bell | 1925 | Auckland Grammar School
Otago Boys' High School | St John's College, Cambridge (MA, mathematics) | |
| Gordon Coates | 1925–1928 | | | |
| George Forbes | 1930–1935 | Christchurch Boys' High School | | |
| Michael Joseph Savage | 1935–1940 | | | |
| Peter Fraser | 1940–1949 | | | |
| Sidney Holland | 1949–1957 | Christchurch West District High School | | |
| Keith Holyoake | 1957
1960–1972 | | | |
| Walter Nash | 1957–1960 | King Charles I Grammar School | | |
| Jack Marshall | 1972 | Otago Boys' High School
Whangarei Boys' High School | Victoria University College (LLB, LLM) | |
| Norman Kirk | 1972–1974 | | | |
| Bill Rowling | 1974–1975 | Nelson College | Canterbury University College (BA, economics) | Christchurch College of Education |
| Robert Muldoon | 1975–1984 | Mount Albert Grammar School | | |
| David Lange | 1984–1989 | Otahuhu College | University of Auckland (LLB, LLM) | |
| Geoffrey Palmer[12] [13] | 1989–1990 | Nelson College | Victoria University of Wellington (BA, political science; LLB)
University of Chicago Law School (JD) | |
| Mike Moore[14] | 1990 | Bay of Islands College
Dilworth School | | |
| Jim Bolger[15] | 1990–1997 | Opunake High School | | |
| Jenny Shipley[16] | 1997–1999 | Marlborough Girls' College | | Christchurch College of Education |
| Helen Clark[17] [18] | 1999–2008 | Epsom Girls' Grammar School | University of Auckland (BA, MA (Hons), political studies) | |
| John Key[19] [20] | 2008–2016 | Burnside High School | University of Canterbury (BCom, accounting)
Harvard University (no degree, management) | |
| Bill English[21] [22] [23] | 2016–2017 | St Patrick's College, Silverstream | University of Otago (BA, BCom)
Victoria University of Wellington (BA (Hons), English literature) | |
| Jacinda Ardern[24] [25] | 2017–2023 | Morrinsville College | University of Waikato (BCS, public relations and political science) | |
| Chris Hipkins[26] | 2023 | Hutt Valley Memorial College | Victoria University of Wellington (BA, politics and criminology) | |
| Christopher Luxon[27] [28] | 2023–present | Saint Kentigern College
Howick College
Christchurch Boys' High School | University of Canterbury (BCom, MCom, business administration) | | |
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: Prime Ministers of New Zealand since 1856. 25 January 2023. New Zealand Parliament.
- Encyclopedia: Alexander. McLintock. Prime Ministers of New Zealand. An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. 1966.
- Encyclopedia: William. Morrell. STAFFORD, Sir Edward William, G.C.M.G.. An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. 1966.
- Jeanine. Williams. Frederick Weld: A Political Biography. 1973. University of Auckland.
- Web site: Jean. Tregenza. Waterhouse, George Marsden (1824–1906). Australian Dictionary of Biography. 6. 1976.
- Book: Gluckman, Laurie. Touching on Deaths: a medical history of early Auckland based on the first 384 inquests. 2000. Doppelganger. Auckland.
- Judith. Bassett. Sir Harry Atkinson: A Political Biography, 1872–1892. 1966. University of Auckland.
- Web site: Distinguished Old Guildfordians – Sir George Grey . Royal Grammar School Guildford Website . 6 February 2023 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110927212551/http://www.rgs-guildford.co.uk/page_viewer.asp?page=Sir+George+Grey&pid=352 . 27 September 2011.
- Jean. Garner. Sir John Hall: Pioneer, Pastoralist and Politician. 1993. University of Canterbury.
- Web site: Kathleen. Coleridge. Sir Robert Stout. v. 1987. The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout : A Catalogue with Indexes. Victoria University of Wellington. Wellington.
- 150 Alumni Heroes. University of Otago Magazine. 48. 2019. 34.
- Web site: School stories: Sir Geoffrey Palmer. 29 January 2016. Stuff.
- Web site: Sir Geoffrey Palmer: constitutional reformer determined to make a difference. Victoria University of Wellington. 7 December 2022.
- Web site: Obituary: Mike Moore, NZ's 'most promising Prime Minister'. BusinessDesk. Pattrick. Smellie. 2 February 2020.
- Web site: Four schools, two top jobs: Why Opunake could be the best little town to be a principal in. Brianna. Mcilraith. Stuff.
- Web site: Young People Must Train And Study For The Future. New Zealand Government. 10 March 1999.
- Web site: Helen Clark Biography. Helen Clark.
- Web site: Worldview with Helen Clark. 8 August 2017. NAFSA.
- Web site: Nicholas. Jones. 11 February 2014. Teacher: Key a 'good kid'. Stuff.
- Web site: Hon doc – Rt Hon Sir John Key. University of Canterbury. December 2017.
- Bill English from 1979 Head Prefect to Prime Minister . The Streamer. 9. 2016. 1.
- 150 Alumni Heroes. University of Otago Magazine. 48. 2019. 30.
- Web site: Sir Bill English to be honoured by Victoria University of Wellington. 29 November 2018.
- Web site: Chloe. Blommerde. As school reunion looms, Jacinda Ardern recalls the nickname that stuck. 11 March 2021.
- Web site: Jacinda Adern. University of Waikato.
- Web site: Rt Hon Chris Hipkins. New Zealand Government.
- Web site: Air New Zealand Announces New Chief Executive Officer . . 19 June 2012 . 27 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20190611033804/http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1206/S00572/air-new-zealand-announces-new-chief-executive-officer.htm. 11 June 2019. live.
- Web site: Christopher Luxon: ‘We’ve let standards slip’ in education. 1news. 20 December 2021. 27 November 2023.
