{{short description|New Zealand politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2014}} '''Geoffrey Fantham Sim''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO}} (2 April 1911 – 27 March 2002) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.
==Biography== {{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true|align=right}} {{NZ parlbox |start = {{NZ election link year|1943}} |end = 1946 |term = 27th |electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Rotorua}} |party = New Zealand National Party }} {{NZ parlbox |start = {{NZ election link year|1946}} |end = 1949 |term = 28th |electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Waikato}} |party = New Zealand National Party }} {{NZ parlbox |start = {{NZ election link year|1949}} |end = 1951 |term = 29th |electorate = Waikato |party = New Zealand National Party }} {{NZ parlbox |start = {{NZ election link year|1951}} |end = 1954 |term = 30th |electorate = Waikato |party = New Zealand National Party }} {{NZ parlbox |start = {{NZ election link year|1954}} |end = 1957 |term = 31st |electorate = Waikato |party = New Zealand National Party }} {{NZ parlbox |start = {{NZ election link year|1957}} |end = 1960 |term = 32nd |electorate = Waikato |party = New Zealand National Party }} {{NZ parlbox |start = {{NZ election link year|1960}} |end = 1963 |term = 33rd |electorate = Waikato |party = New Zealand National Party }} {{NZ parlbox |start = {{NZ election link year|1963}} |end = 1966 |term = 34th |electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Piako}} |party = New Zealand National Party }} {{End}} Sim was born at Ngatapa near Gisborne in 1911. He received his education at Morrinsville, Pukekohe High School, and King's College. At the latter school, he was a lightweight boxing champion. After school, he was a farmer at Waimārama, was involved in felling bush, was a driver in the Onewhero and Thames region, became head shepherd at Crossland Station near Kaipara Harbour, before working as a stock agent in Waiuku.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|p=342}}
In World War II, Sim served in the Middle East. At Sidi Rezegh, he lost an eye, an arm, and the use of one leg. While he was in hospital, he became a prisoner of war.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|p=342}}
Sim returned to New Zealand in 1943. The National Party nominated him in the Rotorua electorate for the {{NZ election link|1943}}, where he was successful.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=234}} At the end of the parliamentary term in 1946, the Rotorua electorate was abolished,{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=271}} and he successfully contested the Waikato electorate at the {{NZ election link|1946}}. He held Waikato until 1963, when that electorate was also abolished.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|pp=234, 273}} In the {{NZ election link|1963}}, he successfully contested the {{NZ electorate link|Piako}} electorate, and retired at the end of the next parliamentary term in 1966. From 1958 to 1960 he was Shadow Minister of Maori Affairs while National was in opposition.<ref>{{Cite news |title=National Party Caucus |date=21 March 1958 |work=The New Zealand Herald |page=12 }}</ref>
In 1953, Sim was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.{{sfn|Taylor|Coddington|1994|page=421}} In the 1978 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=234}}<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=47420 |date=31 December 1977 |page=42 |supp=3}}</ref>
Sim died in 2002.<ref>[http://www.vdig.net/hansard/archive.jsp?y=2002&m=04&d=17&o=2&p=2 Obituary – Geoffrey Fantham Sim]. ''New Zealand Hansard'', 17 April 2002. Retrieved 2 July 2013.</ref>
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==References== {{Refbegin}} *{{cite book |last = Gustafson |first = Barry |author-link = 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}} *{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Alister |last2=Coddington |first2=Deborah |author-link1=Alister Taylor |author-link2=Deborah Coddington |title=Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand |year=1994 |publisher=New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa |location=Auckland |isbn=0-908578-34-2}} *{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= Jim | author-link=Jim Wilson (librarian) |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher=V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc=154283103}} {{Refend}}
{{S-start}} {{s-par|nz}} {{s-bef|before=Alexander Moncur}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Rotorua|years=1943–1946}} {{s-vac|reason=Constituency abolished, recreated in 1954|next=Ray Boord}} |- {{s-bef|rows=2|before=Stan Goosman}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Waikato|years=1946–1963}} {{s-vac|reason=Constituency abolished, recreated in 1969|next=Lance Adams-Schneider}} |- {{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Piako|years=1963–1966}} {{s-aft|after=Jack Luxton}} {{end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sim, Geoffrey}} Category:1911 births Category:2002 deaths Category:New Zealand National Party MPs Category:People educated at King's College, Auckland Category:New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Category:Companions of the Queen's Service Order Category:New Zealand military personnel of World War II Category:New Zealand prisoners of war in World War II Category:20th-century New Zealand politicians Category:People educated at Pukekohe High School Category:New Zealand politicians with disabilities
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