Fowlds was born in Fenwick, East Ayrshire, Scotland. His father, Matthew Fowlds, was a handloom weaver and was the last surviving member of the Fenwick Weavers' Society.[2] He lived to be 101 years old.[1] As a boy, George Fowlds weaved linen sheets. He attended Hairshaw School in Waterside. He did his apprenticeship at a clothier in Kilmarnock, and later worked in Glasgow, where he attended night classes at Anderson's College.[3] After completing his studies in commerce he worked several jobs as a general labourer, fencer, carpenter and painter before deciding to leave Scotland.[4]
Fowlds emigrated to Cape Colony in 1882 and lived in Cape Town, Beaufort West, and Bultfontein. In 1884, he married Mary Ann Fulton, who was also from Fenwick. In the following year, they moved to Auckland, New Zealand, as the South African climate was detrimental to his wife's health. He built up a business as a clothier in Victoria Street.[3] In New Zealand he became involved in community affairs becoming a prominent Freemason, Rotarian, member of the Workers' Educational Association (WEA) and was chairman of the Congregational Union of New Zealand.[4]
In the 1896 election, Fowlds stood in the three-member City of Auckland electorate and came seventh.[5] Fowlds represented the City of Auckland electorate from 1899to1902, and then the Grey Lynn electorate from 1902 to 1911.[6] In 1890, Fowlds moved his family to Mount Albert, to a large country house known as Greystone Knowe.[7]
He was a firm believer in a single tax and was by extension the president of the New Zealand Land Values League, a Georgist group dedicated to implementing a land value tax.[4] In 1905 Fowlds decided to return to Scotland for his father's 100th birthday. He decided he needed a New Zealand passport when his ship was about to leave, though they were not then usually required for overseas travel; an inconvenience to the department, and to the Governor who then personally signed each New Zealand passport.[8]
Though critical of some of the policies of PremierRichard Seddon, Fowlds did not support the New Liberal Party in 1905.[9] He was "in favour of the referendum and an elective Executive".[10] He immediately earned a reputation as a left-wing among Liberals and was kept out of the cabinet by Seddon, who though he would have made a good minister but for his belief in the single tax.[11]
He resigned from Cabinet in September 1911 over the single tax issue.[4] He stayed in Parliament so he could remain a private member until there was "a truly democratic party in a position to form a government".[13] His resignation from the ministry was seen as a contributing factor to the fall of the Liberal government in 1912.[11] In 1911, Fowlds introduced the Proportional Representation And Effective Voting Bill (86–1).[14][15] However, this bill failed to be passed into law.
Fowlds stood as an Independent Liberal Labour candidate for Grey Lynn in the 1911 election. He then became involved in the task of creating a moderate Labour Party in New Zealand and was a high-profile attendee of the Labour Unity Conferences. He joined the United Labour Party (ULP) and was chairman of the Auckland ULP from 1912 to 1913. At the next election in 1914 he contested Grey Lynn again as the ULP candidate. But, in 1919, he was again a Liberal.[16] After his third consecutive defeat he withdrew from politics and devoted himself to education governance.[4]
The personal papers of Sir George Fowlds are housed in Special Collections at the University of Auckland Library. The extensive collection covers political, personal, business and social matters and includes letters, newspaper clippings, speech drafts, articles, sermons, accounts books, photographs and cartoons.
Fowlds, George (1896), A political address to the electors of the City of Auckland: delivered in the City Hall, Auckland on September 29, 1896, Auckland, [N.Z.]: H. Brett, General Printer
Fowlds, George (1896), The ethics of the land question: an address delivered at the Congregational Union, Wellington, February, 1896, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Edwards, Russell & Co.
Fowlds, George (1899), Progress towards unity: an address delivered from the chair of the Congregational Union of New Zealand at Dunedin, February, 1899, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Printed by H. Brett
Fowlds, George (1900), Paper on party government, read at the National Council of Women of New Zealand, held at Dunedin, May 1900., Auckland, [N.Z.]: Abel, Dykes & Co.
Fowlds, George (1902), The true policy for the Liberal Party in New Zealand by Onlooker., Auckland, [N.Z.]: Wright & Jacques, newspaper and general printers
Fowlds, George (1902), The worker and his wages: an address, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Wright & Jacques, newspaper and general printers
Fowlds, George (1905), Geo. Fowlds, social reformer: candidate for Grey Lynn, 1905., Auckland, [N.Z.]: Observer Printing Works
Fowlds, George (1908), Education Act Amendment Bill: speeches delivered in Parliament on the 27th August, the 8th September, and the 6th and the 7th October, 1908, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Government Printer
Fowlds, George (1910), Pre-sessional address : the Hon. George Fowlds at Grey Lynn, interestin political speech : an enshusiastic [i.e enthusiastic] meeting, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Printed at Star Office
This is reprinted from the Auckland Star of 3 June 1910.
Fowlds, George (1911), The new Evangel: an address, Auckland, [N.Z.]: N.Z. Land Values League
Fowlds, George (1913), Practical politics for the people: evolution v. revolution : an appeal to wageworkers and employers, to capitalists and professional men, to exploiters and exploited, Auckland, [N.Z.]: N.Z. Land Values League
Fowlds, George (1914), The drift towards anarchy: its cause and its cure: the church's neglected duty, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Wright & Jacques, General Printers
Fowlds, George (1914), To the electors of Grey Lynn: Hon. Geo. Fowlds, formerly Minister of Education and Public Health, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Observer Print. Works
Fowlds, George (1914), To the electors of Grey Lynn: Hon. Geo. Fowlds, the progressive Liberal and Labour candidate, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Wright & Jaques, Printers
Fowlds, George (c. 1917), "Is New Zealand a democracy?", Eden Gazette, Auckland, [N.Z.]
Fowlds, George (1918), Manual of chairmanship, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Auckland Branch, Workers' Educational Association
Fowlds, George (1922), The single tax: a Rotarian Club address / by Geo. Fowlds, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Wright & Jaques, Printers
Fowlds, George (1923), Taxation and commerce / retiring address of the Hon. George Fowlds, C.B.E. as president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Thursday, February 8th, 1922, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Wright & Jaques, Printers
Fowlds, George (c. 1925), Planning Auckland for to-morrow / Geo. Fowlds., Auckland, [N.Z.]: Eden Gazette Print
Fowlds, George (1930), A review of the past decade [Bulletin (Auckland University College) ; no. 11. : Bulletin (Auckland University College). Administrative series ; no. 1.], Auckland, [N.Z.]: Auckland University College
Fowlds, George (1933), President's address[at fiftieth jubilee of College], Auckland, [N.Z.]: Auckland University College
Fowlds, George (1956), Princess or prisoner? / by Geo. M. Fowlds, n.p.: n.p.
Fowlds, George (1964), Reminiscences of South Africa and New Zealand, Auckland, [N.Z.]: G. Fowlds
Fowlds, George; et al. (1915), Opinions on the war, Auckland, [N.Z.]: George Hunt & Co., for the Trades, Labour and Friendly Societies' Carnival Queen Committee
<Please add first missing authors to populate metadata.> (1913), A story of progress!, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Cleave Ltd., Typ
This is reprinted from the N.Z. Town and Country Life of 25 June 1913.
<Please add first missing authors to populate metadata.> (1921), Leaders of the trade: the Hon. George Fowlds, C.B.E., Auckland, [N.Z.]: Brett Printing Co.
This is reprinted from the New Zealand draper of 30 November 1921.
Barr, James (1936), "The late Sir George Fowlds, Kt., C.B.E.: distinguished New Zealand statesman, notable native of Fenwick Parish / tributes by James Barr and others.", Kilmarnock Standard, Kilmarnock, [Scotland]
Coulam, Allan George (1947), The life and work of the Hon. Sir George Fowlds, Kt., C.B.E., with special reference to his educational activities, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Harvison & Seymour
This is a version of an undated M.A. thesis from the University of Auckland.
Fairlie, J. Kirkwood (ed.) (1910), "Matthew Fowlds, centenarian weaver, 1806–1907, and other Fenwick worthies: with brief histories of the martyrs and covenanters of Fenwick, the Secession Church, and the Weavers' Society", Kilmarnock Standard, Kilmarnock, [Scotland] {{citation}}: |first= has generic name (help)
