Sir William Appleton KStJ |
|
---|---|
25th Mayor of Wellington | |
In office 1944–1950 |
|
Deputy | Robert Macalister |
Preceded by | Thomas Hislop |
Succeeded by | Robert Macalister |
Personal details | |
Born |
Alexandra, New Zealand |
3 September 1889
Died | 22 October 1958 Wellington, New Zealand |
(aged 69)
Political party |
United (1931-1936) National (1936-58) |
Spouse(s) | (1) Mary Helen Munro (2) Rose Hellewell |
Children | Five |
Sir William Appleton KStJ (3 September 1889 – 22 October 1958) was a New Zealand politician. He served as Mayor of Wellington from 1944 to 1950, having been a city councillor from 1931 to 1944. He was knighted in 1950.
Appleton was born in Alexandra in Central Otago in 1889, the eldest of nine children. His parents were the Yorkshireman Edwin Appleton and his Scottish wife, Margaret Bruce. The family briefly moved to Gisborne in 1904, but was back in Alexandra in the following year. Appleton was left in charge of the local post office as a teenager by an absent postmaster, and did some bookkeeping for local businesses. In October 1906, he was appointed a cadet in the accountancy department of the General Post Office at Wellington.
Appleton was a leader of the commercial community, and founder of an advertising agency. He unsuccessfully stood for Parliament several times. In the 1931 election, he contested the Wellington South electorate for the United Party and was beaten by Robert McKeen. In the 1935 election, he contested the Otaki electorate for the United/Reform Coalition and came third. In the 1938 election standing for the National Party in the Wellington Central electorate, he came second but was beaten by Labour's Peter Fraser. In the 1943 election, Appleton was again unsuccessful but came second and greatly reduced Fraser's majority. He did not contest the 1946 election.