By Roselyn Fauth
It’s not every day that a fisherman, truck driver, and freezing worker ends up presiding over Parliament as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives — let alone one who also carries a baronetcy bestowed by Queen Victoria. Yet that was Sir Basil Malcolm Arthur of Timaru: the working man who became Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, a Labour stalwart who preferred boots and fairness over pomp and privilege. From Waimataitai School to the Beehive, this is a story of working hard, advocating and making an impact with leadership and service to community... here is a story about the man who preferred to be known simply as Basil...
Born in Timaru on 18 September 1928, Basil was the son of George Malcolm Arthur and Doris Fay Arthur (née Wooding). His father worked as a foreman printer at The Timaru Herald before becoming a hotel proprietor — I imagine Basil would have grown up around stories, local debate of a town and its people. Reeading through newspaper articles, it seems the Arthurs lived a practical South Canterbury life, where hard work, conversation, and service to community were valued far more than titles.
When Basil’s father died in 1949, he inherited the baronetcy originally granted by Queen Victoria to his great-great-grandfather in 1841. He was just 21. But it was clear from his obituaries, that Basil didn't claim that a title made a man.
He attended Waimataitai School and Timaru Boys’ High School. Its funny to imagine the young Basil walking those school grounds, like many us have. He would have been unaware that decades later his name would be attached to sports fields, plaques, and parks around the District.
He left school at 15, and went to sea as a fisherman, then worked as a freezing worker, truck driver, and sawmiller. At 18, he enlisted in the army and served with the Japanese occupation forces after the Second World War. I wonder how that time shaped him and if it gave him a deeper respect for duty, fairness and the dignity of labour.
In 1950 he married Elizabeth Rita Wells, and together they raised three children. After their separation, Basil married Sandra Colleen Kennett (née Boaz) in 1983, adopting three daughters.
What even is a baronet — and why did Queen Victoria create them?
The title of baronet sits halfway between knighthood and the peerage. It’s hereditary, passed from father to son, but carries no seat in the House of Lords. It’s an old-fashioned relic of empire... a mark of loyalty and service once given to governors and administrators.
Basil’s great-grandfather, Sir George Arthur, had served as Governor of Tasmania, Bombay, and Madras and was made a baronet by Queen Victoria in 1841. By Basil’s time, the title’s grandeur had faded. What mattered to him wasn’t inheritance, but integrity. Although I can't help but wonder if Arthur was a chip of the old block and his ancestors.
He joked that “Sir” didn’t suit a man with calloused hands and muddy boots. It wasn’t rebellion — just humility.
How does a baronet end up driving trucks and hauling nets?
I think by choice. Basil joined the Labour Party at 16, delivering pamphlets during the 1946 election. While working in a sawmill, he became secretary of the Waikato section of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, later serving on its national executive and becoming its president in 1971.
He stood unsuccessfully for Waitomo (1957) and Hamilton (1960), but perseverance eventually paid off. In 1961 he spent a year in the United Kingdom on an Imperial Relations Trust Bursary, studying trade unions and the fishing industry. When the Timaru seat became vacant the following year, Basil seized his chance and won.
At 33, he was New Zealand’s youngest MP. The Speaker at the time, Sir Ronald Algie, ruled that Basil’s title had to be formally used in the House. He reluctantly accepted, saying later that the title mattered little beside the work itself.
What happens when a working man walks into Parliament?
Well I think it helped him to get things done. Under Norman Kirk’s Labour government, Basil became Minister of Transport and Minister in Charge of the State Insurance Office in 1972. He introduced open-road speed limits, drink-driving laws, and road-safety campaigns that reduced fatalities. He also founded the Shipping Corporation of New Zealand, ensuring New Zealand kept control of its maritime freight.
In Timaru, his legacy is easier to see than to measure. The Government Life Insurance Building on George Street — an eight storey, $1.67 million project announced by Basil in 1973, still stands as a built reminder of his focus on modernising local services. The site, once home to scattered departments, became a hub for the community. I do think the later de centralisation of government had a big impact on small cities and regions like ours, and it would be interesting to learn about their reasoning and its impact.
A couple of years later, Basil helped secure a $60,000 government grant for the Aigantighe Art Gallery on Wai-iti Road, funding its major 1975 extensions. There are so many examples in newspaper articles that show his contributions, but I particularly these two examples as they show a combination of infrastructure and art.. which I think maybe captured Basil’s philosophy perfectly... build for function, but never forget beauty.
Where can you still see his footprint in Timaru?
The Sir Basil Arthur Park at Washdyke was named in his honour.
Down at Caroline Bay, where he once volunteered with rescue boats during the carnival, his presence lingers at the nearby Yacht and Boating Club, reminding us of his connection with the sea where he began his working life on the water.
And if you drive the Loop Road, look for the small plaque marking its official opening. It was Basil, as Minister of Transport, who pushed for safer, better roads across South Canterbury — improvements that carried people, logistics and progress for efficiency and safety.
The man behind the title
By the early 1980s, Basil had become one of Labour’s senior MPs, having served under Norman Kirk, Bill Rowling, and David Lange. When the new, younger generation took over, his ranking fell but he was held in high regard. Even Robert Muldoon, then Leader of the Opposition, admired his “innate common sense.”
As Speaker in 1984, Basil had a deep, commanding voice and was nicknamed “Basil’s Bellow” by MP Fran Wilde. It was said he was a fair but human Speaker, preferring the spirit of cooperation over strict formality.
At home, he retreated to his Green Gables property near Temuka. There he bred Coopworth sheep and grew apples. The farm must have felt like a quiet contrast and maybe an escape to the politics of busy Wellington.
What does Timaru remember of him?
When Basil died suddenly in 1985, aged just 56, the shock rippled through both Timaru and Parliament. His death was caused by Legionnaires’ disease, later traced to a contaminated water system beneath the Beehive in Wellington. This was such a cruel irony for a man devoted to public safety and community care.
His funeral at St Mary’s Anglican Church drew mourners from across the nation, including Prime Minister David Lange, who described him as having “the quality of basic earthiness.”
After his passing, the Timaru District Council named the Sir Basil Arthur Park in his honour. You can still visit his grave at Timaru Cemetery, where his story comes full circle, resting in the town that shaped him and that he, in turn, helped shape.
If Basil were here today, what might he tell us?
When I think about Basil Arthur now, I wonder what he’d make of our world. He came from a time when you knew your neighbours, when showing up mattered, and when politics was grounded in community.
If he were here today, I think he’d tell us to keep things simple: look after each other, be decent, and remember that leadership starts close to home. He might tell us that the plaques, parks, and buildings named after him only matter if the people who visit them care about the same things he did — fairness, courage, and kindness.
He might suggest tell we look closer at the places that hold his story... from Waimataitai School to Timaru Boys’ High, the Aigantighe Art Gallery, the Government Life Building, the Loop Road Plaque, and Sir Basil Arthur Park... we can see them not just as landmarks, but as lessons. Lessons about the kind of community we can aspire to be.
And perhaps, standing there at his grave on Cemetery Hill overlooking the salty creek and the Pacific, we’d remember that you don’t need to be called ‘Sir’ to make a difference. Sometimes, it’s enough just to be Basil.
Sources:
The Timaru Herald (1973, 1975, 1985) | Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand | Timaru District Council Hall of Fame | NZ Labour Party Archives
https://www.timaru.govt.nz/community/our-district/hall-of-fame/category-one/hon-sir-basil-arthur
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil_Arthur
https://aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/633
https://aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/7296
https://aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/7146
https://aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/4299
https://aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/1013
Sir Basil Arthurs funeral St Marys Church Timaru. Inside as Sir Basil Arthur's funeral starts, 1985. South Canterbury Museum Catalogue Number 2012/186.0353
Sir Basil Malcolm Arthur (1928 – 1985)
Timeline: Sir Basil Malcolm Arthur (1928 – 1985)
The baronet who refused to be called “Sir.”
1928 — Born in Timaru
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18 September 1928: Born in Timaru to George Malcolm Arthur (foreman printer at The Timaru Herald, later hotel proprietor) and Doris Fay Arthur (née Wooding).
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Grew up in a practical, working household — grounded in community, words, and service.
1935 – 1944 — School Years
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Attended Waimataitai Primary School (1935 – 1941).
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Continued to Timaru Boys’ High School (1942 – 1944).
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Known for his height (six feet) and sporting ability — later represented in rugby, badminton, and hockey.
1944 – 1949 — Early Working Life
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At age 15, worked on a fishing trawler off the Otago coast.
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Took up various manual jobs — freezing worker, truck driver, sawmiller.
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1947 – 1948: Served as a driver in the Japanese occupation forces, gaining discipline and perspective.
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1949: Inherited the Arthur baronetcy following his father’s death — becoming the 5th Baronet of Upper Canada, though he rarely used the title.
1950 – 1956 — Marriage and Union Work
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5 January 1950: Married Elizabeth Rita Wells in Auckland.
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Worked briefly as a hotel manager and clerk for the Ministry of Works in Mangakino.
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Preferring physical work, returned to labouring and joined the New Zealand Workers’ Union, becoming secretary of the Waikato section.
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Joined the Labour Party at age 16 and actively campaigned in elections.
1956 – 1961 — Rising through the Ranks
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Elected to the National Executive of the NZ Workers’ Union in 1956.
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Served as President of the Auckland branch for three years.
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1960: Contested the Hamilton electorate (Labour, unsuccessful).
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1961: Travelled to the UK on an Imperial Relations Trust Bursary, studying trade union affairs and the fishing industry.
1962 — Enters Parliament
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Contested and won the Timaru by-election, succeeding Clyde Carr, who had held the seat for 33 years.
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At age 33, became New Zealand’s youngest Member of Parliament.
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Parliament’s Speaker, Sir Ronald Algie, insisted his baronet title be used; Basil reluctantly agreed.
1971 – 1975 — Union Leader and Cabinet Minister
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1971: Elected President of the New Zealand Workers’ Union.
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1972 – 1975: Appointed Minister of Transport and Minister in Charge of the State Insurance Office in Norman Kirk’s government.
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Introduced drink-driving laws and open-road speed limits.
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Established the Shipping Corporation of New Zealand.
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Achieved 50% premium rebates for means-tested beneficiaries through State Insurance.
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1973 — Government Life Building
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Announced the construction of the eight-storey Government Life Insurance Office on George Street, Timaru (cost: $1.67 million).
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The building became a modern civic hub — a visible sign of Basil’s commitment to Timaru’s progress.
1975 — Aigantighe Art Gallery Extension
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Secured a $60,000 government grant for the gallery’s major expansion.
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Strengthened Timaru’s cultural heart — showing that art and community were as vital as roads and ports.
1977 — Honoured for Service
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Awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal for outstanding public service.
Late 1970s – 1980s — Senior MP and Local Champion
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Continued to represent Timaru faithfully through economic change and social division.
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Active locally: supported Caroline Bay Carnival, rescue boats, and local schools.
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The Loop Road upgrade — which still bears a commemorative plaque — reflected his passion for safe transport infrastructure.
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Farmed “Green Gables” near Temuka, breeding Coopworth sheep and tending an apple orchard.
1981 — Re-Elected Amid Change
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Won re-election during a turbulent political year marked by the Springbok Tour and economic hardship.
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Known for his common sense and fairness; respected by both sides of Parliament.
1983 — New Marriage
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Divorced from Elizabeth Arthur (May 1983).
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1 July 1983: Married Sandra Colleen Kennett (née Boaz) in Wellington, adopting three daughters.
1984 — Speaker of the House
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Appointed Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives under Prime Minister David Lange.
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Known for his “Basil’s Bellow” voice and fair but unorthodox approach to parliamentary order.
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Even Opposition leader Robert Muldoon praised his “innate common sense.”
1985 — Death and Legacy
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1 May 1985: Died suddenly in Wellington from Legionnaires’ disease, traced to a contaminated water system beneath the Beehive.
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Funeral held at St Mary’s Anglican Church, Timaru; attended by Prime Minister David Lange and national dignitaries.
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Buried at Timaru Cemetery.
After 1985 — A Lasting Legacy
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Sir Basil Arthur Park established at Washdyke — still a thriving community sports field.
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His influence endures at sites across Timaru:
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Government Life Building, George Street.
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Aigantighe Art Gallery extension, Wai-iti Road.
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Loop Road Plaque, recognising road safety initiatives.
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Waimataitai School and Timaru Boys’ High School, where his journey began.
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Caroline Bay Yacht Club, where he volunteered with rescue boats.
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Timaru Cemetery, his final resting place — overlooking the city he served.
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Today
Basil Arthur’s name still stands for hard work, fairness, and community. He inherited a title but chose a life of service — a reminder that leadership doesn’t depend on privilege, but on presence.