Eric Holland

New Zealand politician (1921–1989)


title: "Eric Holland" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1921-births", "1989-deaths", "new-zealand-national-party-mps", "members-of-the-cabinet-of-new-zealand", "ministers-of-housing-of-new-zealand", "politicians-from-christchurch", "new-zealand-mps-for-christchurch-electorates", "members-of-the-new-zealand-house-of-representatives", "20th-century-new-zealand-politicians", "children-of-prime-ministers-of-new-zealand", "new-zealand-military-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "people-educated-at-st-andrew's-college,-christchurch"] description: "New Zealand politician (1921–1989)" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Holland" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary New Zealand politician (1921–1989) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

FieldValue
honorific-prefixThe Honourable
nameEric Holland
imageEric Holland crop.jpg
captionHolland in 1958
office38th Minister of Housing
term_start38 March 1977
term_end313 December 1978
primeminister3Robert Muldoon
predecessor3George Gair
successor3Derek Quigley
term_start49 February 1972
term_end48 December 1972
primeminister4Jack Marshall
predecessor4John Rae
successor4Bill Fraser
office5Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for
(1969–1978)
term_start515 April 1967
term_end528 November 1981
predecessor5Harry Lake
successor5Philip Burdon
birth_date28 June 1921
death_date1 July 1989
partyNational
otherparty
spouse{{plainlist
* {{marriageJanet Mary Wills
* {{marriageNancy Mary Nilner
children3
::

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable | name = Eric Holland | honorific-suffix = | image = Eric Holland crop.jpg | alt = | caption = Holland in 1958 | office3 = 8th Minister of Housing | term_start3 = 8 March 1977 | term_end3 = 13 December 1978 | primeminister3 = Robert Muldoon | predecessor3 = George Gair | successor3 = Derek Quigley | term_start4 = 9 February 1972 | term_end4 = 8 December 1972 | primeminister4 = Jack Marshall | predecessor4 = John Rae | successor4 = Bill Fraser | office5 = Member of the New Zealand Parliament for (1969–1978) | term_start5 = 15 April 1967 | term_end5 = 28 November 1981 | predecessor5 = Harry Lake | successor5 = Philip Burdon | birth_date = 28 June 1921 | birth_place = | death_date = 1 July 1989 | death_place = | party = National | otherparty =
| spouse = {{plainlist|

| relations = | children = 3 | parents = | education = | profession = | religion = | signature =

Eric Sidney Fostyn Holland (28 June 1921 – 1 July 1989) was a New Zealand politician who served as an elected member of the House of Representatives from 1967 to 1981 for the National Party and as a Cabinet Minister in the second and third National governments.

Biography

Early life and career

Holland was born in 1921; he was the son of former prime minister and National Party leader Sir Sidney Holland. He received his education at Elmwood School and St. Andrew's College in Christchurch. Holland fought in WW2 in the Pacific and in Italy. He was president of the Canterbury Savings Bank in 1965 and 1966, and president of the Associated Trustee Savings Banks of New Zealand in 1966 and 1967.

In 1944, Holland married Janet Mary Wills, the daughter of Wilfrid John Wills. They had one son and two daughters, and divorced in 1970. In 1972, he married Nancy Mary Nilner.

Political career

|start= |end=1969 |term=35th |electorate=Fendalton |party=New Zealand National Party |start= |end=1972 |term=36th |electorate=Riccarton |party=New Zealand National Party |start= |end=1975 |term=37th |electorate=Riccarton |party=New Zealand National Party |start= |end=1978 |term=38th |electorate=Riccarton |party=New Zealand National Party |start= |end=1981 |term=39th |electorate=Fendalton |party=New Zealand National Party Holland was involved in the National Party and became chairman of the Fendalton Electorate Committee and deputy-chairman National's Canterbury-Westland division.

The death of Harry Lake in early 1967 caused a 15 April 1967 by-election in Fendalton, the electorate once held by his father. Holland entered contention and won the National Party nomination. He defeated Labour's Bruce Barclay in the election. The polling night results in the Fendalton by-election showed a 67-vote majority to Barclay, however after special votes were counted National did manage to hold the seat by just 286 votes, a swing of over 5% to Labour. This was a surprise result in a safe National seat. The Fendalton electorate was abolished in , and Holland won election in the Riccarton electorate. He represented this electorate for three parliamentary terms until 1978, when Riccarton was in turn abolished. In the , he returned to the reinstated Fendalton constituency for the 1978–1981 period, following which he retired.

At the end of the Second National Government Prime Minister Jack Marshall appointed Holland as Minister of Housing from 9 February to 8 December 1972 when the government was defeated. During National's unsuccessful election campaign Labour's housing policy of enabling home loans through the State Advances Corporation for people carrying out renovations on state houses to bring them up to standards received an unusually large amount of interest. Two days later it prompted Holland to announce the government would introduce an identical policy to Labour's.

After National's defeat Marshall retained him in the same portfolio as Shadow Minister of Housing from 1973 to 1974. When Robert Muldoon replaced Marshall as party leader he instead designated Shadow Minister of Energy and Electricity from 1974 to 1975.

During the Third National Government under Muldoon, Holland was appointed Minister of Energy Resources, Minister of Electricity, and Minister of Mines (all 12 December 1975 – 8 March 1977), and then once again as Minister of Housing (8 March 1977 – 13 December 1978). His portfolio shift back to Housing was precipitated by him suffering a stroke.

Later life and death

Holland died on 1 July 1989.

Notes

References

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References

  1. (22 March 1967). "National Candidate for Fendalton". [[The Press]].
  2. (2 February 1973). "Marshall lines up his men". [[Auckland Star]].
  3. (11 July 1974). "National lists "alternative Government"". [[Auckland Star]].

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1921-births1989-deathsnew-zealand-national-party-mpsmembers-of-the-cabinet-of-new-zealandministers-of-housing-of-new-zealandpoliticians-from-christchurchnew-zealand-mps-for-christchurch-electoratesmembers-of-the-new-zealand-house-of-representatives20th-century-new-zealand-politicianschildren-of-prime-ministers-of-new-zealandnew-zealand-military-personnel-of-world-war-iipeople-educated-at-st-andrew's-college,-christchurch