# William Fox

_Premier of New Zealand in the 19th century, company agent, explorer and artist (1812–1893)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/william-fox
Last updated: 2026-11-02

> Sir William Fox was a New Zealand politician who was the second premier of New Zealand in 1856, from 1861 to 1862, from 1869 to 1872, and in 1873. Serving while New Zealand was still a British colony, he was known for his confiscation of Māori land rights, his contributions to the education system, and his work to increase New Zealand's autonomy from Britain.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 2 September 1812 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356502#P569))
- **Place of birth:** South Shields ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356502#P19))
- **Died:** 23 June 1893 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356502#P570))
- **Place of death:** Auckland ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356502#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; Colony of New Zealand ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356502#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; lawyer; painter; barrister ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356502#P106))
- **Education:** Wadham College; Durham School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356502#P69))
- **Positions held:** Prime Minister of New Zealand (3 March 1873 – 8 April 1873); Prime Minister of New Zealand (28 June 1869 – 10 September 1872); Minister for Māori Development (18 December 1861 – 30 October 1863); Prime Minister of New Zealand (12 July 1861 – 6 August 1862); Attorney-General of New Zealand (12 July 1861 – 2 August 1861); Prime Minister of New Zealand (20 May 1856 – 2 June 1856); Attorney-General of New Zealand (20 May 1856 – 2 June 1856); Member of the New Zealand Parliament ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356502#P39))
- **Awards:** Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356502#P166))

## Questions

**When was William Fox born?**  
William Fox was born on 2 September 1812 in South Shields.

**What positions has William Fox held?**  
Positions held by William Fox include: Prime Minister of New Zealand (1873–1873); Prime Minister of New Zealand (1869–1872); Minister for Māori Development (1861–1863); Prime Minister of New Zealand (1861–1862); Attorney-General of New Zealand (1861–1861).

**Where did William Fox study?**  
William Fox was educated at Wadham College, Durham School.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): William Fox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Fox_(New_Zealand_politician)) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q1356502](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356502) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Portrait of Sir William Fox.png by The original uploader was Vardion at English Wikipedia . (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Sir_William_Fox.png)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article William Fox, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Portrait of Sir William Fox.png — The original uploader was Vardion at English Wikipedia ., Public domain.

## Cite this page

"William Fox". DigiNepal. Last updated 2 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/william-fox. Retrieved 6 November 2026.