William Sefton Moorhouse

William Sefton Moorhouse
William Sefton Moorhouse
2nd Superintendent of Canterbury Province
In office 24 Oct 1857 – Feb 1863
In office 30 May 1866 – May 1868
3rd Mayor of Wellington
Preceded by	Charles Borlase
Succeeded by	William Hutchison
Personal details
Born	18 December 1825 Yorkshire, England
Died	15 September 1881 Wellington, New Zealand
Spouse(s)	Jane
Relations	William Barnard Rhodes (brother-in-law)

William Sefton Moorhouse (c.1825 – 15 September 1881) was a New Zealand politician. He was the second Superintendent of Canterbury Province.

Moorhouse was born in Yorkshire, England, and baptised on 18 December 1825; the oldest son of William Moorhouse, a magistrate, and his wife, Ann Carter. He trained as a lawyer, entering as a student at the Middle Temple in November 1847, and was called to the Bar in November 1860. After working for a time in London, he moved to Lyttelton, New Zealand, with his two brothers (Benjamin and Thomas) in 1851. Soon afterwards, he moved to Wellington, where he resumed his law practice. After marrying in 1853, he briefly moved to Australia, but subsequently returned to Lyttelton. Later he moved to Christchurch, where he acted as a lawyer, magistrate, newspaper editor, and ship owner. His sister Sarah Ann Moorhouse married William Barnard Rhodes.

Moorhouse was active both in national and provincial politics, and later was a Mayor of Wellington.

Moorhouse was elected to represent Akaroa in the 1st New Zealand Parliament, and remained an MP until his death. In his parliamentary career, he represented the Akaroa, Heathcote (a notice of election was gazetted on 12 July 1862, and the member sworn in on 14 July), Westland, Westland Boroughs, Christchurch and Ashley (elected 1879) electorates. In the 1866 election, he had won both the Mount Herbert and Westland electorates, and chose to represent the latter. At the 21 December 1875 election, he stood in the City of Christchurch electorate for the 6th New Zealand Parliament. He was returned in third position in this three-member electorate; the other members returned in the election were Edward Richardson and Edward Cephas John Stevens.