Editing Julius Vogel

{{Short description|Premier of New Zealand (1873–1875, 1876)}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name                = Sir Julius Vogel
| honorific-suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|size=100%|KCMG}}
| image               = Julius Vogel, ca 1870s.jpg
| order1              = 8th [[Prime Minister of New Zealand|Premier of New Zealand]]
| monarch1            = [[Queen Victoria|Victoria]]
| governor1           = [[Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet|James Fergusson]]<br />[[George Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby|George Phipps]]
| term_start1         = 8 April 1873
| term_end1           = 6 July 1875
| predecessor1        = [[William Fox (politician)|William Fox]]
| successor1          = [[Daniel Pollen]]
| monarch2            = [[Queen Victoria|Victoria]]
| governor2           = [[George Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby|George Phipps]]
| term_start2         = 15 February 1876
| term_end2           = 1 September 1876
| predecessor2        = [[Daniel Pollen]]
| successor2          = [[Harry Atkinson]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1835|2|24|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[London]], UK
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1899|3|12|1835|2|24|df=y}}
| death_place         = [[Molesey]], Surrey, UK
| resting_place       = [[Willesden Jewish Cemetery]], London, UK
| spouse              = Mary Clayton (m. 1867)
| children            = 4
| relatives           = [[William Clayton (architect)|William Clayton]] (father-in-law)
| party               = None
| signature           = Julius Vogel Signature.jpg
}}
'''Sir Julius Vogel''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|size=100%|KCMG}} (24 February 1835 – 12 March 1899) was the eighth [[premier of New Zealand]]. His administration is best remembered for the issuing of bonds to fund railway construction and other public works. He was the first [[Jewish]] prime minister of New Zealand. Historian Warwick R. Armstrong assesses Vogel's strengths and weaknesses:
 
{{blockquote|Vogel's politics were like his nature, imaginative – and occasionally brilliant – but reckless and speculative. He was an excellent policymaker but he needed a strong leader to restrain him....Yet Vogel had vision. He saw New Zealand as a potential 'Britain of the South Seas', strong both in agriculture and in industry, and inhabited by a large and flourishing population.<ref>Warwick Robert Armstrong, "VOGEL, Sir Julius, K.C.M.G." [http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/vogel-sir-julius-kcmg/1 ''An Encyclopedia of New Zealand 1966'' (1966)]</ref>}}

==Early life==
Born in London, Vogel received his early education at [[University College School]] in University College, Gower St London. He later studied [[chemistry]] and [[metallurgy]] at the [[Royal School of Mines]] (later part of [[Imperial College London]]). He emigrated to [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria, Australia]] in 1852, being editor of several newspapers on the goldfields, including the [[Inglewood, Victoria|''Inglewood'']] ''Advertiser'' and the ''Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser''.<ref name=Mennell>{{cite Australasia|Vogel, Hon. Sir Julius}}</ref> After an unsuccessful attempt to enter the Victorian Parliament in the [[Electoral district of Avoca|Avoca district]] in [[1861 Victorian colonial election|August 1861]] (he lost to [[James Macpherson Grant]] and [[Benjamin George Davies]]),<ref name=Mennell/><ref name=adb>{{cite book |last=Kennedy |first=B. E. |title=Vogel, Sir Julius (1835–1899) |chapter=Sir Julius Vogel (1835–1899) |url= http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/vogel-sir-julius-4780 |publisher=[[Australian Dictionary of Biography]] |access-date=30 January 2013}}</ref> he moved to [[Otago]] in October 1861, where he became a journalist for the ''[[Otago Witness]]''. In November 1861, he founded the ''[[Otago Daily Times]]'' and became its first editor.<ref name="DNZB Vogel">{{DNZB|last=Dalziel |first= Raewyn |id=1v4|title=Vogel, Julius|access-date=23 September 2010}}</ref> In 1863 James Grant was charged with criminal libel against Vogel in an election pamphlet but was found not guilty by a jury.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT18630930.2.22 |title= Supreme Court – Criminal Session | work= Otago Witness |date=30 September 1863}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW18631002.2.6 |title= Tuesday, 29th September | work= Otago Witness |date=2 October 1863}}</ref>

On 19 March 1867, Vogel got married in Dunedin to his neighbour Mary "Polly" Clayton, the daughter of architect [[William Henry Clayton]]. They had three sons and one daughter.<ref name="DNZB Vogel"/>

==Political career==
Vogel first became involved in politics in 1862, winning election to the [[Otago Province|provincial council of Otago]].<ref name=Mennell/> Four years later became the head of the provincial government, a post which he held until 1869.<ref name=Mennell/>

===Member of Parliament===
{{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true|align=left}}
{{NZ parlbox
|electorate = [[Dunedin and Suburbs North]]
|party = Independent politician
|start = [[Dunedin and Suburbs North by-election, 1863 (2nd)|1863]]
|end = 1866
|term = 3rd
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|electorate = [[Gold Fields (New Zealand electorate)|Goldfields]]
|party = Independent politician
|start = [[1866 New Zealand general election|1866]]
|end = 1870
|term = 4th
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|electorate = [[Auckland East]]
|party = Independent politician
|start = [[1871 New Zealand general election|1871]]
|end = 1875
|term = 5th
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|electorate = [[Whanganui (New Zealand electorate)|Wanganui]]
|party = Independent politician
|start = [[1875–1876 New Zealand general election|1876]]<!-- election held on 7 January 1876 -->
|end = 
|term = 6th
}}
{{NZ parlbox break}}
{{NZ parlbox
|electorate = [[Christchurch North (New Zealand electorate)|Christchurch North]]
|party = Independent politician
|start = [[1884 New Zealand general election|1884]]
|end = 1887
|term = 9th
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|electorate = Christchurch North
|party = Independent politician
|start = [[1887 New Zealand general election|1887]]
|end = 1889
|term = 10th
}}
{{NZ parlbox footer}}
In 1863 he was unsuccessful in the {{By-election link|Dunedin and Suburbs South|1863}} for {{NZ electorate link|Dunedin and Suburbs South}}. Later in an {{By-election link|Dunedin and Suburbs North|1863}} he was elected a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for the [[Dunedin and Suburbs North]] electorate.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=242}}

In the [[1866 New Zealand general election|1866 election]], he was defeated by [[William Murison]] in the {{NZ electorate link|Waikouaiti}} electorate on Wednesday, 28 February.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=222}}<ref name="1866 election">{{cite news |title=Waikouaiti Election |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW18660303.2.18 |access-date=8 January 2017 |work=[[Otago Witness]] |issue=744 |date=3 March 1866 |page=8}}</ref> It is unclear why Vogel stood in Waikouaiti as two days earlier, he had been returned unopposed at the nomination for the [[Gold Fields (New Zealand electorate)|Goldfields electorate]].{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=242}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Nomination of Candidates |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LWM18660303.2.4.3?query=goldfields%20vogel |access-date=8 January 2017 |work=Lake Wakatip Mail |issue=297 |date=3 March 1866 |page=2}}</ref> On retiring from the provincial government in 1869, he joined the [[William Fox (politician)|William Fox]] ministry as colonial treasurer,<ref name=Mennell/> afterward holding the posts of postmaster-general, commissioner of customs, and telegraph commissioner at various times.<ref name="DNZB Vogel"/>

In 1870, as Colonial Treasurer he introduced his "grand go-ahead policy" or ''[[The Vogel Era|great Public Works policy]]'' to revitalise and develop the country by borrowing overseas to build railways, roads and telegraph lines and to attract immigrants.

The Fox ministry having been forced to resign, Vogel carried a vote of no confidence in their successors, and in October 1872, returned to power as leader in the Lower House, colonial treasurer and postmaster-general. He represented several electorates throughout the colony: [[Dunedin and Suburbs North]] 1863–1866, [[Gold Fields (New Zealand electorate)|Goldfields]] in Otago 1866–1870, [[Auckland East]] 1871–1875, [[Whanganui (New Zealand electorate)|Wanganui]] 1876 (resigned) and [[Christchurch North (New Zealand electorate)|Christchurch North]] 1884–1889 (resigned).

Vogel successfully contested the [[1884 New Zealand general election|1884 election]] in Christchurch North against [[John Crewes]].<ref name="DNZB Crewes">{{DNZB|title=John Crewes|first= Mollie|last= Chalklen|id=2c38|access-date=10 December 2011}}</ref>

Vogel was the first Member of Parliament to be [[Naming (parliamentary procedure)|named]] in New Zealand.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/visit-and-learn/how-parliament-works/parliamentary-practice-in-new-zealand/chapter-11-the-chamber-buildings-and-grounds/|title=Chapter 11 The Chamber, Buildings and Grounds – New Zealand Parliament|website=parliament.nz|language=en|access-date=2019-05-12}}</ref> He was named on 15 November 1887 by the [[Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] [[Maurice O'Rorke]] for saying that his fellow Member [[Robert Thompson (New Zealand politician)|Robert Thompson]] was 'want of manners' in a debate about Vogel's use of [[constabulary]] for household purposes – a charge he denied.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Hansard|publisher=New Zealand Parliament|volume=58|pages=379}}</ref>

===Premier of New Zealand===
[[File:New Zealand Ministry by Samuel Calvert - Illustrated Australian News (1873).jpg|thumb|200px|Vogel and his ministry (1873)]]
{{main|The Vogel Era}}
Vogel was premier from 1873 to 1875 and again in 1876. From 1876 to 1881, he was agent-general for New Zealand in London, and, in 1884, he was again a member of the government of the colony. During his political career, Vogel worked generally successfully for reconciliation with the [[Māori people]]. In 1887, he introduced the first [[Women's suffrage in New Zealand|women's suffrage]] Bill to Parliament, but suffrage was not granted until 1893. He was knighted in 1875. He finally gave up the colonial office in 1887; from which date he lived in England and was the Agent-General for New Zealand.

Vogel is best remembered for his "Great [[Public works|Public Works]]" scheme of the 1870s. Before 1870, New Zealand was a country largely dominated by provincial interests and pork-barrel politics. After Vogel, as colonial treasurer, proposed borrowing the massive sum of 10 million pounds, New Zealand developed a significant infrastructure of roads, [[rail transport in New Zealand|railways]] and communication, all administered by central government.

Vogel is also noteworthy as one of the few practising [[Jewish]] prime ministers outside Israel. Since Vogel, two other New Zealanders of Jewish descent have held the premiership: [[Francis Bell (New Zealand politician)|Francis Bell]], an [[Anglican]] who briefly became prime minister in May 1925; and [[John Key]], New Zealand's prime minister between 2008 and 2016 who was not religious despite attending synagogue as a child on occasion.<ref>The New Zealand Herald, 26 July 2008, page B3.</ref> [[Benjamin Disraeli]], of Jewish descent but Anglican, was [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] contemporaneously to Vogel's premiership.

==Life after politics==
Vogel has a reputation as the first New Zealander to write a [[science-fiction]] novel: ''[[Anno Domini 2000, or, Woman's Destiny]]'', published in 1889. It anticipated a utopian world where women held many positions of authority. New Zealand went on to become [[Women's suffrage in New Zealand|the first country to give women the vote]], and, from 1997 to 2008, continuously had a female Prime Minister, while for a short period (2005–2006) women simultaneously held all five highest government positions ([[Elizabeth II|Monarch]], [[Governor-General of New Zealand|Governor-General]], Prime Minister, [[Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] and [[Chief Justice of New Zealand|Chief Justice]]).{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

In honour of this book, the [[Sir Julius Vogel Award]]s for New Zealand speculative fiction take their name from him.<ref>
"Curiosities: Anno Domini 2000; or Woman's Destiny by Julius Vogel" by Lucy Sussex, Fantasy and Science Fiction, December 2008, page 162.
</ref>

He died in London, having retired there in 1887 after electoral defeat. He had been an invalid for several years.<ref>{{cite news|volume=LVI| issue=10294|date=14 March 1899|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP18990314.2.35.8?end_date=01-04-1899&items_per_page=10&query=Vogel&snippet=true&start_date=12-03-1899&type=ARTICLE|title=Obituary}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Death of Sir Julius Vogel|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW18990316.2.37?end_date=01-04-1899&items_per_page=10&query=Vogel&snippet=true&start_date=12-03-1899&type=ARTICLE|date=16 March 1899}}</ref>

On his death at [[Molesey|East Molesey]] in 1899, Vogel was interred in [[Willesden Jewish Cemetery]] in London.<ref name="Facelift">{{cite news | url=https://www.thejc.com/community/community-news/historic-cemetery-to-get-2m-heritage-facelift-1.61655 | title=Historic cemetery to get £2m heritage facelift | work=[[The Jewish Chronicle]] | date=5 November 2015 | access-date=8 December 2016}}</ref>

==Namesakes==
Several things bear his name today:

* The [[Sir Julius Vogel Award]]s for science fiction writing.
* Suburbs named Vogeltown in [[Vogeltown, Wellington|Wellington]] and [[Vogeltown, Taranaki|New Plymouth]].
* [[Vogel House]], the former official residence of New Zealand Prime Ministers for most of the 20th century.
* Vogel Building in Wellington built for the [[New Zealand Ministry of Works|Ministry of Works]], now housing much of the Ministry of Justice.  This building has been renamed the Justice Centre as of July 2013.
* Various streets throughout the country named Vogel Street, such as the one in his former constituency of Dunedin.

==See also==
* [[New Zealand literature]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{Jewish Encyclopedia|wstitle=Vogel, Julius}}
*{{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}}

==Further reading==
*  Burdon, Randal M. ''Life and Times of Sir Julius Vogel'' (Christchurch, 1948)

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080710070232/http://www.primeminister.govt.nz/oldpms/1873vogel.html Prime Minister's Office biography] (archived)
*[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=100&letter=V Biographic entry in the Jewish Encyclopedia]
*[http://www.beth-el.org.nz/index.php/community/history History of Jews in New Zealand – Wellington Jewish Community Website]
*[http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/V/VogelSirJuliusKcmg/VogelSirJuliusKcmg/en Biography in the 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand]
*Sir Julius Vogel: ''Anno Domini 2000 or a Woman's Destiny'': New Zealand Electronic Text Centre. [https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-AnnVoge.html Full text freely available online]
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Vogel, Sir Julius |short=x}}
* {{Cite Americana|wstitle=Vogel, Julius |year=1920 |short=x}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-gov}}
{{S-bef | before = [[William Fox (politician)|William Fox]]}}
{{s-ttl | rows = 2 | title= [[Prime Minister of New Zealand|Premier of New Zealand]]|years=1873–1875 <br />1876}}
{{s-aft | after= [[Daniel Pollen]]}}
{{S-bef | before = Daniel Pollen}}
{{s-aft | after= [[Harry Atkinson]]}}
|-
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Edward Stafford (politician)|Edward Stafford]]}}
{{s-ttl | rows=4 | title = [[Postmaster-General (New Zealand)|Postmaster-General]] | years=1869–1872<br />1872–1876<br />1884<br />1884–1887}}
{{s-aft | after = [[Oswald Curtis]]}}
{{s-bef | before = Oswald Curtis}}
{{s-aft | after = [[George McLean (New Zealand politician)|George McLean]]}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Richard Oliver (New Zealand politician)|Richard Oliver]]}}
{{s-aft | after = [[William Russell (New Zealand politician)|William Russell]]}}
{{s-bef | before = William Russell}}
{{s-aft | after = Harry Atkinson}}
|-
{{s-bef | before = [[John Hall (New Zealand politician)|John Hall]]}}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Postmaster-General (New Zealand)|Electric Telegraph Commissioner]] | years=1869–1872}}
{{s-non | rows=2 | reason=Position abolished}}
|-
{{s-bef | before = Oswald Curtis}}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Postmaster-General (New Zealand)|Telegraph Commissioner]] | years=1873–1875}}
|-
{{s-new}}
{{s-ttl | rows=3 | title = [[Postmaster-General (New Zealand)|Commissioner of Telegraphs]] | years=1875–1876<br />1884<br />1884–1887}}
{{s-aft | after = George McLean}}
{{s-bef | before = Richard Oliver}}
{{s-aft | after = William Russell}}
{{s-bef | before = William Russell}}
{{s-aft | after = Harry Atkinson}}
|-
{{s-dip}}
{{s-bef|before= [[Isaac Featherston]] }}
{{s-ttl|title= [[List of high commissioners of New Zealand to the United Kingdom|Agent-General of New Zealand in the United Kingdom]] |years=1876–1880}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Dillon Bell]]}}
|-
{{s-par|nz}}
{{s-new|constituency}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Dunedin and Suburbs North|Member of Parliament for Dunedin and Suburbs North]]|years=1863–1866|alongside= [[John Richardson (New Zealand politician)|John Richardson]]}}
{{s-non|reason=Electorate abolished}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[John Bryce]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Whanganui (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Whanganui]]|years=1876 |alongside= John Bryce}}
{{s-aft|after=[[William Fox (politician)|William Fox]]}}
|-
{{s-bef | before = [[Henry Thomson (New Zealand politician)|Henry Thomson]]}}
{{s-ttl | title= [[Christchurch North (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Christchurch North]] | years = 1884–1889}}
{{s-aft | after = [[Edward Wingfield Humphreys]] }}
{{s-end}}

{{New Zealand prime ministers}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vogel, Julius}}
[[Category:Prime ministers of New Zealand]]
[[Category:19th-century prime ministers of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Ministers of finance of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Members of the Otago Provincial Council]]
[[Category:Alumni of Imperial College London]]
[[Category:New Zealand Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George]]
[[Category:Australian Jews]]
[[Category:English Jews]]
[[Category:English emigrants to New Zealand]]
[[Category:Jewish New Zealand politicians]]
[[Category:Jewish prime ministers]]
[[Category:New Zealand science fiction writers]]
[[Category:1835 births]]
[[Category:1899 deaths]]
[[Category:People educated at University College School]]
[[Category:New Zealand MPs for Dunedin electorates]]
[[Category:New Zealand MPs for Christchurch electorates]]
[[Category:Burials at Willesden Jewish Cemetery]]
[[Category:Jewish New Zealand history]]
[[Category:19th-century British Jews]]
[[Category:New Zealand editors]]
[[Category:New Zealand magazine editors]]
[[Category:The New Zealand Herald]]
[[Category:High commissioners of New Zealand to the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:19th-century New Zealand Jews]]