George Fenwick

Who was George Fenwick?

Sir George Fenwick was a New Zealand newspaper proprietor and editor.

Born in Sunderland, England, his family emigrated to Australia in 1852, and subsequently to Otago, New Zealand four years later. In 1859, the 12-year old Fenwick was apprenticed to the newspaper Otago Witness, moving to the Otago Daily Times in 1861.

He was involved in a number of new newspapers in New Zealand before becoming manager of the Otago Guardian, which surprisingly took over its more successful rival, the Otago Daily Times, in 1877, becoming managing director when the Times was floated as a public company the year later.

In 1889 he led the campaign against sweat-shop labour in the clothing industry, with a series of articles written by chief reporter Silas Spragg.

George Fenwick was appointed editor and manager in 1890, remaining editor until 1909, manager until 1919, and managing director until his death in 1929.

Fenwick was knighted in 1919, and invested by the Prince of Wales in 1920 during his visit to Dunedin.