HUTCHISON, WILLIAM (1820-1905) was born in the village of Bellie, Banffshire, educated in the parish and at Inverness, and became a journalist. He worked on newspapers in Scotland and Ireland, and published several pamphlets on the poor law and education. In 1866 he came to Auckland under engagement to the Southern Cross, but a few months later accepted the editorship of the Wanganui Chronicle, which he controlled for seven years.

During this time he was mayor of Wanganui (1873-74), and represented the town and district in the Wellington Provincial Council (1867-76). In Feb 1874 he established the Tribune (in Wellington). He sold out two or three years later to E. T. Gillon (q.v.), and edited the Nelson Colonist for a short time. He was very prominent in the civil life of Wellington, being five times elected mayor (1876-77, 1879-81). He was on the education board (1877-84) and represented Wellington City in Parliament (1879-81) and Wellington South (1881-84). In 1884, having been defeated by G. Fisher, Hutchison went to Dunedin and again engaged in journalism. Here he became deeply interested in trades unionism and in politics. He was first president of the Otago Protection League; president of two trades unions and of the Industrial League of New Zealand (1890). After contesting the Roslyn seat in 1887, he was elected for the City in 1890 as a Labour representative (with Pinkerton and Fish). In 1896, and at a subsequent by-election in 1897, he suffered defeat, and he was not again in politics. A strong party man, yet very independent, he was perhaps not as well suited for politics as for journalism. As a writer he was highly endowed, with the accomplished style of a good essayist. He wrote prolifically on social, philosophical and religious topics. He was for 50 years an ordained elder of the Presbyterian Church, and for some years an ordained deacon of Knox Church. Hutchison was described at his death as 'an all-round worthy.' He was on the committee of the Dunedin City mission and one of the Dempsey trustees. He married, in 1846, Helen Aicheson, of Inverness (who died in 1900). Their sons included G. Hutchison (q.v.), T. Hutchison, S.M., and Sir James Hutchison. Hutchison died on 3 Dec 1905.

Cycl. NZ., iv (p); Otago Daily Times, 4 Dec 1905; Evening Star, ib.; Lyttelton Times, 8 Dec 1890. Portrait: Wanganui Town Hall; Wellington Town Hall; Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 1, page 229

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