Portrait of Myers around 1910.
Sir Arthur Mielziner Myers (19 May 1868 –
9 October 1926) was a New
Zealand politician. He was Mayor of Auckland from 1905 to 1909, Member of the
House of Representatives from 1910 to 1921, and a Cabinet Minister. Today he
is remembered mainly for the public works constructed in Auckland during his term as Mayor, including Grafton Bridge and Myers Park.
Early life
Myers was born in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, the child of Louis Myers and Catherine
Ehrenfried, a Jewish couple. Following the death of Arthur's father in 1870, Catherine moved to
Wellington, New Zealand. Arthur went to Wellington College from 1880 to
1883. His main sporting interests were rowing and swimming. The family moved to Auckland in 1886, and Arthur was soon in charge
of the Ehrenfried Brothers warehouse at 43 Queen Street.
Arthur went into the brewing business of his uncle, Louis Ehrenfried. Louis and his brother Bernard started in the South
Island, but moved to Thames. Louis Ehrenfried moved to Auckland about 1885. His
brewing business was combined with that of John Logan
Campbell into Campbell and Ehrenfried in 1897.
An able administrator and something of a financial wizard in 1897 at the age of 30, Myers became Managing Directer of the
Campbell and Ehrenfried brewing company, following the death of his uncle Louis Ehrenfried in 1897.
Public life
He was Mayor of Auckland from 1905 to 1909. He improved the finances of the city
administration, improved services such as the water supply and drainage. The construction of the new Auckland Town Hall was
largely due to his efforts, as was the new Grafton Bridge across Grafton Gully.
Myers Park, located between Karangahape
Road and Mayoral Drive, is named after him, as in 1913 he donated £10,000 to develop the previously overgrown gully into a
child friendly park and to build the adjacent 'Myers Free Kindergarten' (still operating in the same heritage building).
Active in the volunteer defence movement, he served as major in the 1st Battalion Auckland Infantry Volunteers and as
commanding officer, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, of the New Zealand Forces Motor Service Corps.
He entered Parliament in the 1910 Auckland East by-election, replacing his cousin
Frederick Baume. He held his seat until 3 October
1921 when he resigned between general elections. Initially he was an Independent and then from 1911
he stood for the New Zealand Liberal Party.
In the short-lived Mackenzie Ministry of 28 March to 10 July 1912 he held three important
portfolios; Finance, Defence, Railways, also the Tax Department. From 12 August
1915 to 25 August 1919 he
served as Minister of Customs and Minister in charge of Munitions and Supplies, Pensions, Advertising and National Provident Fund
during the wartime National (coalition) Ministry. In 1924 he was knighted for services to his country.
He died in London in 1926 where he had been living since 1921. He was survived by his children and his wife Vera, who lived on
in England until her death in 1965.
Mayoral terms
References
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