Preceded by Russell Calvert Nationality New Zealand Succeeded by William Fraser | Preceded by Fred Jones Succeeded by Cliff Skeggs Name Jim Barnes | |
Born 24 September 1908
Dunedin ( 1908-09-24 ) Died 6 June 1995(1995-06-06) (aged 86) | ||
Sir James George Barnes (24 September 1908 – 6 June 1995) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.
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Early life
Barnes attended Andersons Bay School and King Edward Technical College.
Military service
Barnes joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1940, and trained in Canada. He qualified as a navigator and bomb aimer, and joined the No. 75 (NZ) Squadron . In 1942, Barnes was shot down over France, and spent three years in German prisoner-of-war camps. He put a lot of pressure on German resources helping fellow prisoners escape, and received various punishments, including a sentencing to be shot, though later the camp brutality eased, and Barnes was not executed.
Athletics career as runner and official
JG (Jimmy) Barnes was well known in Otago and NZ as a mile and cross-country runner of national class. Later, before he became Mayor of Dunedin, he was loyally and consistently active as an official, and leader of Otago Athletics. Jim was particularly supportive of Women's Athletics, at a time when that section of the sport was indeed the poor relation. The Otago Ladies' NZ Record relay team, which included Yvette Williams, Shirley Hardman, Norah Donald, Myrie Ives, and Roslyn Pierson, was most grateful for his support in the late 40s and 50s. Jim Barnes' name has become enshrined in the Otago Harrier Programme in the J G Barnes Cross-country Race, first held in the early 50s in the Chisholm Park area of Dunedin.
Political career
He represented the St Kilda electorate from 1951 when he defeated Fred Jones to 1957 and 1960, when he was twice defeated by William Fraser.
From 1968 to 1977 he was the Mayor of Dunedin. He had been on the Dunedin City Council from 1947, and deputy Mayor from 1959.
He was knighted in the 1976 Birthday Honours.