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About 70 invited guests gathered in Matakohe recently to celebrate the centenary of Gordon Coates becoming New Zealand 21st prime minister.
Coates was born at the Ruatuna homestead in 1878 and became Prime Minister on May 30 1925, after winning a caucus vote following the death of Prime Minister William Massey earlier that month.
He later won a landslide victory in an election held in November 1925 making him the first popularly elected New Zealand-born Prime Minister.
Just over 10 years later he would become one of the foundation members of the National Party.
Coates and his six siblings grew up at Ruatuna, now a Category 1 historic place cared for by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. The historic Coates homestead also served as the venue for the centenary celebrations.
Speakers at the celebration included Northland MP Grant McCallum, Heritage NZ board chair Dame Jo Brosnahan and chief executive Andrew Coleman, and Coates descendant Gordon Pryde. A tribute from former Rodney MP Sir Lockwood Smith was read by Dr Jason Smith, the current Kauri Museum director.
The official party then proceeded to the Coates Memorial Church at Matakohe, a National Memorial cared for by Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage, and laid a wreath on Coates’ grave.
“Gordon Coates was known for his appetite for hard work and for getting things done,” Ruatuna property lead Mary Stevens said.
“Among other things, in the course of his career, he completed the three main trunk railway lines, centralised the construction of hydroelectric dams, and progressed plans for projects on the Waikato and Waitaki rivers, which are still generating power today.”
Coates was also the first to acknowledge and understand the growing impact of the motor car, and funded roading networks from taxes on tyres, motor vehicle registration and fuel. He was also instrumental in passing the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bill establishing a central bank.
Coates earned a Military Cross for his action at La Basseville during World War I, and later served in Prime Minister Peter Fraser’s war cabinet during World War II.
The anniversary begins a year of celebration, which will include tours, talks and opportunities to visit Ruatuna.
Coates served at prime minister from 1925 to 1928.
