Rex Austin

William Rex Austin MBE (born 23 May 1931), known as Rex Austin, is a former New Zealand politician of the National Party.

Rex Austin MBE
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Awarua
In office 1975–1987
Preceded by	Aubrey Begg
Succeeded by	Jeff Grant
Personal details
Born	William Rex Austin 23 May 1931 Riverton, New Zealand
Political party	National
Spouse(s)	Miriam Helen Brumpton ​ ​ (m. 1958; died 2007)​
Relations	Pahikore Te Koeti Turanga (great-uncle)
Children	4
Alma mater	Lincoln College

Biography

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1975–1978	38th	Awarua		National
1978–1981	39th	Awarua		National
1981–1984	40th	Awarua		National
1984–1987	41st	Awarua		National

Austin was born in Riverton, Southland, in 1931.[1] He received his education at Southland Technical College and Lincoln College;[2] at the latter institution, he obtained a diploma in agriculture.[3] In 1958, he married Miriam Helen Brumpton, with whom he had four sons.[1]

Austin farmed at Colac Bay in Southland and lived in Riverton. From 1971, he was a member of the Southland Hospital Board.[1]

In the 1975 election he was elected to Parliament as the National Party MP for Awarua, which he represented until 1987.[4]

Austin and Ben Couch were the second and third Māori (after Sir James Carroll) to win a general electorate, as opposed to one of the Māori electorates.

Honours

In 1977, Austin was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, and in 1990 the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[5] In the 1994 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the community.[6]

References

1. Traue, James Edward (1978). Who's Who in New Zealand, 1978 (11th ed.). Wellington: Reed Publishing. p. 47.
2. Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. p. 298. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
3. "Rex Austin". Lincoln University. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
4. Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 181. OCLC 154283103.
5. Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 52. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
6. "No. 53528". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 31 December 1993. p. 34.