imported>Paora: /* Political career */ Coronation Medal

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Political career: Coronation Medal

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{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
|name = Harry Lake
|honorific-suffix =
|image = Harry Lake.jpg
|caption =
|order = 31st [[Minister of Finance (New Zealand)|Minister of Finance]]
|primeminister = [[Keith Holyoake]]
|term_start = 12 December 1960
|term_end = 21 February 1967
|predecessor = [[Arnold Nordmeyer]]
|successor = [[Robert Muldoon]]
|constituency_MP2 = [[Fendalton (New Zealand electorate)|Fendalton]]
|term_start2 = 26 November 1960
|term_end2 = 21 February 1967
|parliament2 = New Zealand
|predecessor2 = [[Jack Watts (politician)|Jack Watts]]
|successor2 = [[Eric Holland]]
|constituency_MP3 = [[Lyttelton (New Zealand electorate)|Lyttelton]]
|term_start3 = 1 September 1951
|term_end3 = 30 November 1957
|parliament3 = New Zealand
|predecessor3 = [[Terry McCombs]]
|successor3 = [[Norman Kirk]]
|birth_date = 29 September 1911
|birth_place = [[Christchurch]], New Zealand
|death_date = {{death date and age|1967|02|21|1911|09|29|df=y}}
|death_place = [[Christchurch]], New Zealand
|spouse = Beryl Bonnington
|children = 2
|party = [[New Zealand National Party|National]]
|occupation = Accountant
}}
'''Harry Robson Lake''' (29 September 1911 – 21 February 1967) was a New Zealand politician who served as [[Minister of Finance (New Zealand)|Minister of Finance]] for six years in the [[Second National Government of New Zealand|second National government]] in the 1960s. He died of a heart attack when only 55 years old.

==Biography==
===Early life and career===
Lake was born in [[Christchurch]] in 1911. Lake was father to two children, and grandfather to three. He attended Riccarton Primary School and Christchurch West District High School. He was further educated at the [[University of Canterbury]], gaining a bachelor's degree in [[commerce]]. He was then employed for five years at the [[Vacuum Oil Company]] before joining a firm of public accountants, in which he later became a partner. He established an [[accountancy]] practice in 1943 and then a senior partner in the firm of Lake, Glynn and Smith. He also served a term as chairman of the Christchurch branch of the [[Society of Incorporated Accountants|Society of Accountants]].<ref name="Obit">{{cite news |title=Minister of Finance Dies Aged 55 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=22 February 1967 |page=1 }}</ref>

In 1937 he married Beryl Bonnington with whom he had one son and one daughter. Lake was deemed medically unfit for active service in [[World War II]]. Instead he served within New Zealand as a duty officer in the [[New Zealand Air Training Corps|Air Training Corps]].<ref name="Obit"/>

For several years he was an accountancy lecturer at the [[University of Canterbury]]. Lake was also a councillor of the Canterbury Manufacturers Association. He was also a member of the Christchurch Drainage Board and was chairman of its finance committee.<ref name="Obit"/>

===Political career===
{{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true|align=left}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start={{NZ election link year|1951}}
|end=1954
|term=30th
|electorate=[[Lyttelton (New Zealand electorate)|Lyttelton]]
|party=New Zealand National Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start={{NZ election link year|1954}}
|end=1957
|term=31st
|electorate=Lyttelton
|party=New Zealand National Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox break}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start={{NZ election link year|1960}}
|end=1963
|term=33rd
|electorate=[[Fendalton (New Zealand electorate)|Fendalton]]
|party=New Zealand National Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start={{NZ election link year|1963}}
|end=1966
|term=34th
|electorate=Fendalton
|party=New Zealand National Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start={{NZ election link year|1966}}
|end=1967
|term=35th
|electorate=Fendalton
|party=New Zealand National Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox footer}}
After holding a number of roles within the [[New Zealand National Party|National Party]]'s administration, he stood as the party's candidate for the [[Riccarton (New Zealand electorate)|Riccarton]] seat in the [[1949 New Zealand general election|1949 election]].{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|p=325}} Riccarton was regarded as a "safe" [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour Party]] seat, and Lake was unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite web |title=The General Election, 1949 |url= http://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&d=AJHR1950-I.2.3.2.43 |publisher=[[National Library of New Zealand|National Library]] |access-date=3 January 2014 |page=4 |year=1950}}</ref> He was the treasurer of the Canterbury-Westland division of the National Party.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|p=325}} In the [[1951 New Zealand general election|1951 election]], however, Lake won the seat of [[Lyttelton (New Zealand electorate)|Lyttelton]], which had been held by Labour for nearly forty years.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|p=79}}

In 1953, Lake was awarded the [[Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal]].<ref name="HBTQ">{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Alister |last2=Coddington |first2=Deborah |authorlink1=Alister Taylor |authorlink2=Deborah Coddington |title=Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand |year=1994 |publisher=New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa |location=Auckland |isbn=0-908578-34-2 |page=416}}</ref>

While Lake held his seat in the [[1954 New Zealand general election|1954 election]], he lost it in the [[1957 New Zealand general election|1957 election]] to [[Norman Kirk]] (who later became Prime Minister).{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|p=79}}

In the [[1960 New Zealand general election|1960 election]], which National won, Lake returned to Parliament as the MP for [[Fendalton (New Zealand electorate)|Fendalton]] (a safe National seat). He was immediately elevated to [[New Zealand Cabinet|Cabinet]] by [[Prime Minister of New Zealand|Prime Minister]] [[Keith Holyoake]], becoming [[Minister of Finance (New Zealand)|minister of finance]]. As Lake possessed no ministerial experience before this point, his immediate appointment to one of the most powerful ministerial posts was remarkable. Undoubtedly the reason for Lake's promotion was the fact he was a close friend and political confidante of Holyoake.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|p=85}} In recognition of his lack of experience, however, Lake was officially ranked only sixth in Cabinet, a lower position than a minister of finance would normally expect. He was also appointed [[Minister of Statistics (New Zealand)|Minister of Statistics]] and [[Minister of Revenue (New Zealand)|Minister of Revenue]].<ref name="Obit"/>

Despite holding one of the most powerful political positions in the country, Lake never had a high public profile. In keeping with Holyoake's desire to maintain the status quo, Lake's tenure as minister of finance was relatively uneventful, with the primary focus being on stability. In 1964, Lake suffered his first heart attack, which reduced his energy somewhat but did not impair his ability to perform his role. In 1965 he had another heart attack, by which time he was also ailing from a kidney impairment.<ref name="Obit"/>

At the end of 1966, New Zealand encountered economic difficulties as the result of a collapse in export prices due to the end of the [[New Zealand wool boom|wool boom]]. Ultimately Lake did not have a chance to respond to this problem, however.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|p=100}}

===Death===
In February 1967 Lake returned to Christchurch to attend the funeral of his wife's uncle, where he suffered a second heart attack, and died.<ref>Obituary in ''The Press'' (Christchurch) of 22 February 1967</ref> He was survived by his wife and two children.<ref name="Obit"/>

He was succeeded as minister of finance by [[Robert Muldoon]], and as MP for Fendalton by [[Eric Holland]].{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|p=90}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book |last=Gustafson |first=Barry |author-link=Barry Gustafson |title=The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party |year=1986 |publisher=Reed Methuen |location=Auckland |isbn=0-474-00177-6}}
*{{cite book |title=Electoral Atlas of New Zealand |last=McRobie |first=Alan |year=1989 |publisher=GP Books |location=Wellington |isbn=0-477-01384-8}}
*{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year=First published in 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher= V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc= 154283103}}

==External links==
* [http://www.eastonbh.ac.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=386 Research paper on Lake's term as Finance Minister] by Brian Easton

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Arnold Nordmeyer]]}}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Minister of Finance (New Zealand)|Minister of Finance]]|years=1960–1967}}
{{s-aft | after = [[Robert Muldoon]]|rows=2}}
|-
{{s-bef | before = [[Walter Nash]]}}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Minister of Statistics (New Zealand)|Minister of Statistics]]|years=1960–1967}}
|-
{{s-par | nz}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Terry McCombs]]}}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Lyttelton (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Lyttelton]] |years=1951–1957}}
{{s-aft | after = [[Norman Kirk]]}}
|-
{{s-bef | before = [[Jack Watts (politician)|Jack Watts]] }}
{{s-ttl | title= [[Fendalton (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Fendalton]] | years = 1960–1967}}
{{s-aft | after = [[Eric Holland]] }}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lake, Harry}}
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:1967 deaths]]
[[Category:New Zealand accountants]]
[[Category:Ministers of finance of New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand National Party MPs]]
[[Category:Members of the Cabinet of New Zealand]]
[[Category:University of Canterbury alumni]]
[[Category:New Zealand MPs for Christchurch electorates]]
[[Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1957 New Zealand general election]]
[[Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1949 New Zealand general election]]
[[Category:New Zealand people of World War II]]

Harry Lake - Revision history

imported>Paora: /* Political career */ Coronation Medal