Norman Kirk
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The Right Honourable Norman Kirk |
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| 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand | |
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In office 8 December 1972 – 31 August 1974† |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | Denis Blundell |
| Deputy | Hugh Watt |
| Preceded by | Jack Marshall |
| Succeeded by | Bill Rowling |
| 19th Leader of the Opposition | |
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In office 16 December 1965 – 8 December 1972 |
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| Preceded by | Arnold Nordmeyer |
| Succeeded by | Jack Marshall |
| 20th President of the Labour Party | |
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In office 1964–1966 |
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| Preceded by | Martyn Finlay |
| Succeeded by | Norman Douglas |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Lyttelton |
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In office 1957 – 1969 |
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| Preceded by | Harry Lake |
| Succeeded by | Tom McGuigan |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Sydenham |
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In office 1969 – 1974 |
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| Preceded by | Mabel Howard |
| Succeeded by | John Kirk |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
6 January 1923 Waimate, Canterbury, New Zealand |
| Died | 31 August 1974 (aged 51) Wellington, New Zealand |
| Resting place | Waimate Lawn Cemetery, Waimate, Canterbury, New Zealand |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) | Dame Ruth Kirk (née Lucy Ruth Miller), married 1943 |
| Relations | John Kirk (son) |
| Children | 5 |
| Profession | Railway engineer |
| Signature |  |
Norman Eric Kirk PC (6 January 1923 – 31 August 1974) was the 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974. He led the Parliamentary wing of the New Zealand Labour Party from 1965 to 1974. He was the fourth Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand. Kirk had a reputation as the most formidable debater of his time and once famously said that people don't want much, just "Someone to love, somewhere to live, somewhere to work and something to hope for."
Born in Waimate, a town in South Canterbury, New Zealand, Norman Kirk came from a poor background, and his household could not afford things such as daily newspapers or a radio.
Kirk did not perform well at school, and left shortly before he turned thirteen. Despite this, however, he enjoyed reading, and often visited libraries. In particular, he enjoyed the study of history and geography.
After leaving school, Kirk worked in a number of jobs, initially as an assistant roof-painter and later as a stationary engine driver, operating boilers in various factories. His health, however, deteriorated, and when the New Zealand Army called him up for military service in 1941 it found him medically unfit. After recovering somewhat, he returned to work, holding a number of different jobs.
In 1943, Norman Kirk married Lucy Ruth Miller, known as Ruth, who was born in Taumarunui. The couple had three sons and two daughters. In 1975 Ruth Kirk was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).
In 1974, while her husband was Prime Minister, she became patron of the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child. She took part in anti-abortion protest marches in Wellington and Hamilton. She died on 20 March 2000, aged 77.
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