Alfred Murdoch

The Honourable Alfred Murdoch
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Marsden
In office 7 December 1922 – 4 November 1925
Preceded by	Francis Mander
Succeeded by	William Jones
In office 14 November 1928 – 27 November 1935
Preceded by	William Jones
Succeeded by	James Gillespie Barclay
In office 25 September 1943 – 13 November 1954
Preceded by	James Gillespie Barclay
Succeeded by	Donald McKay
Personal details
Born	1877 Onehunga, New Zealand
Died	1960 New Zealand
Political party	Liberal (1919-28) United (1928-36) National (1936-60)

Alfred James (Fred) Murdoch (1877–1960) was a New Zealand politician, first as an Independent Liberal then of the United Party, and from 1943 the National Party. He was Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Mines from 1930 to 1931 in the United Government of New Zealand.

Murdoch was born in 1877 in Onehunga. He trained as a school teacher and taught at Onehunga, Northcote, Hikurangi, Mata, and Ruataka. He retired from teaching in 1919 and became a farmer, breeding Jersey cattle. For a time, he was the chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Board, and he belonged to the Chamber of Commerce in Whangarei.

Murdoch unsuccessfully contested the Marsden electorate in the 1919 election as an independent Liberal against the incumbent from the Reform Party, Francis Mander. Mander retired at the 1922 election, and Murdoch was elected. At the next election in 1925, Murdoch was defeated by William Jones of the Reform Party, but he defeated Jones in turn in 1928 when he stood for the United Party. Murdoch was Minister of Agriculture, and Minister of Mines, in the United Government under George Forbes from May 1930 to September 1931.

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