Rex Austin

William Rex Austin MBE (born 23 May 1931), known as Rex Austin, is a former New Zealand politician of the National Party.

Rex Austin

MBE
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Awarua
In office
1975–1987
Preceded byAubrey Begg
Succeeded byJeff Grant
Personal details
Born
William Rex Austin

(1931-05-23) 23 May 1931
Riverton, New Zealand
Political partyNational
Spouse(s)
Miriam Helen Brumpton
(m. 1958; died 2007)
RelationsPahikore Te Koeti Turanga (great-uncle)
Children4
Alma materLincoln College

Biography
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1975–1978 38th Awarua National
1978–1981 39th Awarua National
1981–1984 40th Awarua National
1984–1987 41st Awarua National

Austin was born in Riverton, Southland, in 1931.[1] He received his education at Southland Technical College and Lincoln College;[2] at the latter institution, he obtained a diploma in agriculture.[3] In 1958, he married Miriam Helen Brumpton, with whom he had four sons.[1]

Austin farmed at Colac Bay in Southland and lived in Riverton. From 1971, he was a member of the Southland Hospital Board.[1]

In the 1975 election he was elected to Parliament as the National Party MP for Awarua, which he represented until 1987.[4]

Austin and Ben Couch were the second and third Māori (after Sir James Carroll) to win a general electorate, as opposed to one of the Māori electorates.

Honours

In 1977, Austin was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, and in 1990 the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[5] In the 1994 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the community.[6]

References
  1. Traue, James Edward (1978). Who's Who in New Zealand, 1978 (11th ed.). Wellington: Reed Publishing. p. 47.
  2. Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. p. 298. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
  3. "Rex Austin". Lincoln University. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  4. Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 181. OCLC 154283103.
  5. Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 52. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
  6. "No. 53528". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1993. p. 33.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
Aubrey Begg		 Member of Parliament for Awarua
1975–1987		 Succeeded by
Jeff Grant


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