Bill Sutton | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sutton in 2017 | |
| Hawke's Bay Regional Councillor | |
| In office 1992–1995 | |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Hawkes Bay | |
| In office 14 July 1984 – 27 October 1990 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Harrison |
| Succeeded by | Michael Laws |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William David Sutton (1944-08-24)24 August 1944 Reading, Berkshire, England |
| Died | 6 December 2025(2025-12-06) (aged 81) Napier, New Zealand |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Party | Labour |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Jim Sutton (brother) |
| Occupation | Research scientist |
| Scientific career | |
| Alma mater | Massey University |
| Fields |
|
| Institutions | Department of Scientific and Industrial Research |
| Thesis | The structure of the bacterophage alpha DNA molecule (1969) |
| Doctoral advisor | George Petersen |
William David Sutton (24 August 1944 – 6 December 2025) was New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. He was Member of Parliament for Hawkes Bay from 1984 to 1990, and later served as a Hawke's Bay Regional Councillor for one term, from 1992 to 1995.
Early life and family
Born in Reading, Berkshire, England on 24 August 1944, Sutton moved to New Zealand with his family, including older brother Jim Sutton, in 1948.[1] He was educated at Timaru Boys' High School, and went on to study at the University of Otago from 1963 to 1966, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree with first-class honours in 1967.[1] He then undertook doctoral studies in biochemistry at Massey University between 1967 and 1969, supervised by George Petersen, and graduated with a PhD in 1970; his thesis was titled The structure of the bacterophage alpha DNA molecule.[1][2]
In 1969, Sutton married Karen Louise Sole, and the couple had two children before divorcing in 1979.[1] In 1980, he remarried, to Jacque Aldridge, and they had two more children.[1]
Scientific career
After carrying out post-doctoral research at the University of Edinburgh from 1970 to 1971, Sutton returned to New Zealand and worked as a research scientist in plant physiology at the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in Palmerston North.[1] His research interests there included the DNA structure of plants, and rhizobium–legume symbiosis.[1]
Political career
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984–1987 | 41st | Hawkes Bay | Labour | ||
| 1987–1990 | 42nd | Hawkes Bay | Labour | ||
At the 1981 general election, Sutton unsuccessfully stood for the Labour Party in the safe National Party seat of Pahiatua against incumbent John Falloon.[3][4]
Representing the Labour Party, Sutton was elected MP for the Hawkes Bay electorate at the 1984 general election, defeating National's Richard Harrison.[5] His wife, Jacque Aldridge, gave birth to their second son the night of the election. At that election, Sutton's brother Jim was also elected to Parliament as a Labour MP.
Bill Sutton remained in Parliament until 1990, when he was defeated by Michael Laws. His highest position was chairman of Parliament's Finance and Expenditure Select Committee from 1988 to 1990.[5] He also chaired the Commerce and Marketing Select Committee from 1987 to 1990.[1]
In 1990, Sutton was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[1]
In 1992, Sutton was elected a councillor on the Hawke's Bay Regional Council,[1] and served until 1995.
Life after politics
After retiring from politics, Sutton worked as a senior policy analyst from 1996 to 2007.
In retirement, he lived in Napier and became a published poet, his work appearing in Takahe, Poetry New Zealand, Jaam, and other literary magazines. His second published poetry collection Billy Button – A Life (HB Poetry Press, 2016) included a brief autobiographical summary.
Sutton died in Napier on 6 December 2025, at the age of 81.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 356. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
- ^ Sutton, William David (1969). The structure of the bacterophage alpha DNA molecule (PhD thesis). Massey University. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ "Ministers face some pressure on East Coast". The Press. 13 October 1981. p. 40. Retrieved 8 December 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ "Provisional results on election night". The Press. 30 November 1981. p. 4. Retrieved 8 December 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ a b Wilson, Jim (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
- ^ "William Sutton obituary". The New Zealand Herald. 8 December 2025. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
