# George Forbes

_New Zealand politician (1869-1947)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/george-forbes
Last updated: 2026-11-02

> George William Forbes was a New Zealand politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of New Zealand from 28 May 1930 to 6 December 1935. He was the last leader of the remnant of the Liberal Party having entered the House of Representatives in 1908 as a Radical in that party. Forbes was a co-founder of the United Party in 1927. Later he was a founder of the New Zealand National Party in 1936 and the party's first parliamentary leader.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 12 March 1869 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q775773#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Lyttelton ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q775773#P19))
- **Died:** 17 May 1947 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q775773#P570))
- **Place of death:** Wellington ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q775773#P20))
- **Citizenship:** New Zealand ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q775773#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; diplomat; farmer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q775773#P106))
- **Political party:** United Party; New Zealand National Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q775773#P102))
- **Education:** Christchurch Boys' High School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q775773#P69))
- **Positions held:** Minister for Māori Development (1 November 1934 – 6 December 1935); Attorney-General of New Zealand (28 January 1933 – 6 December 1935); Prime Minister of New Zealand (28 May 1930 – 6 December 1935); Minister of Finance (28 May 1930 – 22 September 1931); Minister of Foreign Affairs (28 May 1930 – 6 December 1935); Minister of Agriculture (10 December 1928 – 28 May 1930); Leader of the Opposition (13 August 1925 – 4 November 1925); Member of the New Zealand Parliament; Member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q775773#P39))

## Questions

**When was George Forbes born?**  
George Forbes was born on 12 March 1869 in Lyttelton.

**What positions has George Forbes held?**  
Positions held by George Forbes include: Minister for Māori Development (1934–1935); Attorney-General of New Zealand (1933–1935); Prime Minister of New Zealand (1930–1935); Minister of Finance (1930–1931); Minister of Foreign Affairs (1930–1935).

**Where did George Forbes study?**  
George Forbes was educated at Christchurch Boys' High School.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): George Forbes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Forbes_(New_Zealand_politician)) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q775773](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q775773) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: George William Forbes.jpg by Herman John Schmidt 1872-1959 \[1\] (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_William_Forbes.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article George Forbes, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: George William Forbes.jpg — Herman John Schmidt 1872-1959 [1], Public domain.

## Cite this page

"George Forbes". DigiNepal. Last updated 2 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/george-forbes. Retrieved 6 November 2026.