William (Bill) Edward Barnard b: 29 Jan 1886 in Carterton son of Charles Leonard Barnard and mother Ellen Banks (d: 12 Mar 1958 in Auckland Bur: 14 Mar 1958 Crem: Purewa Cem.)

Education: Attended Mount Cook Infants and Mt Cook Boys  and 26 Nov 1894 went to Levin School
Evening Post,  24 Feb: 1939: First Levin School. On Feb 24, 1890, the first Levin school was opened. The initial entry in the teacher's book is interesting reading. The teacher, Mr. W. Pope, states that three children attended for enrolment, but as he had no blackboard or easel, no chalk, and no teacher's desk, he sent them home till the following day. It was not till March 12 that the required articles arrived from Wellington. The building was set in the midst of dense bush, and later entries notify the fact that the children had to be dismissed while the process of smoking out the mosquitoes took place. In a paragraph about seven years later appears the fact that a William Barnard had, with others,  passed Standard Four. There has been a big jump since that early day - the Levin District High School has a roll of over 800, the bush has entirely disappeared and so have the mosquitoes, and next year will see the inauguration of the Horowhenua College.

Précis of his life: William Edward Barnard was educated at Victoria University College, Wellington. Solicitor 1908 and barrister 1925. Practised at Foxton, Te Aroha, Helensville and after 1943, at Tauranga. Was on the Te Aroha Borough Council 1911 - 1913. WW1 He served as a private in the  Royal Army Medical Corps  Royal Army Medical Corps, mostly in Egypt, from February 1916 to March 1918, then as a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery in Palestine.

Family Memory: William Edward travelled to England in Oct 1915 supposedly after being jilted by a girl in NZ. He enlisted as a volunteer in the UK Army on 14th Feb 1916; his active service began in 4th Jun 1916 when he left England for Egypt with the 26th Stationary Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps. He returned from Egypt by H.M.T. Ulimaroa in about Aug 1919 although was not discharged until 5th Sept 1919. It appears he transferred to the Artillery Corps some time in 1917.

His Service No. 83456, Royal Army Medical Corps - No. 26 Stationary Hospital - served in Mesopotamia; then to Cairo, Egypt. A surplus of men to requirements led to him and others being sent to the General Base Depot at Kantara, Egypt in March, 1918 for artillery training.

Gunner W.E. Barnard, No. 271978, A. Battery, 271 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Palestine - transferred to Artillery Corps on 15 April 1918.. Returning to New Zealand in August 1919, he settled in Helensville and established a successful legal practice.President of the Chamber of Commerce at Helensville 1924 - 28, where he practised law after the war. Staunch Anglican, joined the NZLP 1922. Secretary Helensville branch 1923 - 28 and president Kaipara LRC 1924 - 28. Labour candidate Kaipara 1925. Moved to Napier and MP Napier 1928 - 43.

At the outbreak of WWII, he was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant. However, due to his parliamentary duties as M.P. and Speaker of the House, he was unable to fulfil the required amount of time for military duties and requested a discharge. He was transferred to the Reserve of Officers (Supplementary List) in February 1942 (1st Battalion Hawkes Bay Regiment).

Speaker of the House of Representatives 1936 - 43. Resigned from the Labour caucus and NZLP 1940 in protest at the election of Peter Fraser as Labour's leader. Joined John A Lee's Democratic Labour Party and lost his seat in the 1943 election. Mayor of Tauranga 1950 - 52. President of the Institute of Pacific Relations. A long time monetary reformer and a returned soldier who opposed conscription in World War 2. President NZ Council for the Adoption of Chinese Refugee Children, for which in 1948 he was awarded the Chinese Order of the Brilliant Star.

Bill  mar: 26 Oct 1921 in St Peter's Anglican Church, Takapuna, Auckland to Elfreda Helen Eames (b: 26 Oct 1901 in Waipawa,  dau. of Frederick Rattu Eames and mother Elizabeth nee Page; she d: 21 Oct 1994 in Auckland)  Their Dau:

i Margaret Helen Barnard (b: 28 Jul 1922 in Hellensville; d: 10 Mar 2006 in Pindora Private Hospital, Benowa, Gold Coast, QLD Bur: 17 Mar 2006 Crem: Allambe Gardens Crem., Nerang)

She mar: 12 Jul 1945 in Tauranga to Victor James Palmer (b: 28 Nov 1915 in Napier; d: 2 Sep 2001 in Ashmore, Gold Coast, Queensland; Crem: 06 Sep 2001  Nerang, Queensland; Ashes Bur: Napier Cem: Mar.2003) Their family:

i Philip James Palmer

ii Louise Helen Palmer mar: George Mercuri