Bill Sullivan

Who was Bill Sullivan?

Sir William Sullivan KCMG, in later life known as Bill Sullivan, was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.

He was born in Inglewood in 1891 to Irish parents. He was a Taranaki rugby representative. He served in World War I in the NZEF and in World War II at Trentham Military Camp in New Zealand. He set up a construction company in the Bay of Plenty, and in Whakatane was Mayor 1925–1928, the Harbour Board Chairman 1923–1926 and on the Council for almost 26 years.

He represented the Bay of Plenty electorate from a 1941 by-election after the death of Gordon Hultquist to 13 February 1957, when he resigned following the death of his son who ran the family construction business.

He was the Minister of Labour, Mines, Housing and the State Advances Corporation in the First National Government from 1949 to 1957, including the period of the 1951 Waterfront dispute.

He was made K.C.M.G. in 1957. He died in Whakatane on 17 March 1967.