Bert Kyle

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.

Bert Kyle OBE
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Riccarton
In office 1925 – 1943
Preceded by	George Witty
Succeeded by	Jack Watts
Personal details
Born	Herbert Seton Stewart Kyle 29 August 1873 Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
Died	5 January 1955 (aged 61) Christchurch, New Zealand
Political party	Reform (1922–36) National (1936–42) Independent (1942–43)
Occupation	Veterinary surgeon Farmer

Early life and profession

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

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

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

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

Notes

1. 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. XVIII (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

• Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
• Milne, Robert Stephen (1966). Political Parties in New Zealand. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
• Wood, G A, ed. (1996). Ministers and Members in the New Zealand. Dunedin: Otago University Press.