Frank Findlay

{{Short description|New Zealand politician}} {{For|the British actor|Frank Finlay}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2014}} '''Frank Findlay''' (1884 – 31 March 1945) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. {{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true|align=right}} {{NZ parlbox |start = {{NZ election link year|1943}} |end = 1945 |term = 27th |electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Hamilton}} |party = New Zealand National Party }} {{End}} Findlay was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1884.<ref name="Gustafson" /> He emigrated to New Zealand in 1902.<ref name="AS obit">{{cite news |title=Death in Hospital |url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=AS19450402.2.29 |accessdate=28 April 2016 |work=Auckland Star |volume=LXXVI |issue=77 |date=2 April 1945 |page=2}}</ref> In his younger days, he was a successful athlete, including the champion for decathlon and high and long jump in Northland.<ref name="AS obit" /> From 1921, he was a baker in Hamilton and belonged to the Presbyterian church, where he was an elder. He was active with the YMCA.<ref name="Gustafson">{{cite book |last = Gustafson |first = Barry |authorlink = 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}}</ref>

He was on the Hamilton Borough Council for 12 years and served as Deputy Mayor for some time.<ref name=Gustafson /> In the {{NZ election link|1943}}, he defeated the incumbent, Charles Barrell from Labour, in the Hamilton electorate.<ref name=Gustafson /><ref name="Wilson">{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= Jim | author-link=Jim Wilson (librarian) |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-date= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher= V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc=154283103 |page=196}}</ref> He suffered a heart attack while playing tennis and died in Waikato Hospital some days later on 31 March 1945.<ref name="AS obit" /><ref name="EP obit">{{cite news|title=Obituary |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19450402.2.45 |accessdate=8 August 2017|work=The Evening Post |volume=CXXXIX|issue=77|date=2 April 1945|page=6}}</ref> He died while holding office as an MP.<ref name=Wilson /> His death caused a by-election that was won by Hilda Ross.<ref>{{cite news|title=Woman Wins |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19450528.2.18 |accessdate=6 June 2017 |work=Auckland Star |issue=124 |volume=LXXVI |date=28 May 1945 |page=3 }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|nz}} {{s-bef | before = Charles Barrell}} {{s-ttl | title = Member of Parliament for Hamilton| years=1943–1945}} {{s-aft | after = Hilda Ross}} {{end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Findlay, Frank}} Category:1884 births Category:1945 deaths Category:New Zealand National Party MPs Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Category:New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates Category:Politicians from Aberdeen Category:Scottish emigrants to New Zealand Category:Hamilton City Councillors