Early life Fraser was born in India, the son of Captain Hugh Fraser of the
5th Madras Light Cavalry. He received his education at
Elizabeth College in
Guernsey,
Victoria College in
Jersey, and the Lycée de St Brieuc in
Brittany, France. He came to New Zealand in September 1858 for farming. Together with
Alfred Rowland Chetham-Strode, he took up Earnscleugh Station on the
Earnscleugh River. In 1874, he married Ellen Isabel Strode, the daughter of his business partner, in 1874.
Political career Fraser was a member of the
Otago Provincial Council (1867–1870). He was a member of the inaugural
Vincent County from 1877 until 1893, the last ten years as chairman. He won the
Wakatipu electorate in the
1893 general election, and retired in
1919. He served on the
Legislative Council from 1919 to 1923 when he died. Under Prime Minister
William Massey, he was Minister of Public Works (10 July 1912 – 3 April 1920), Minister of Mines (10 July 1912 – 12 August 1915; 4 September 1919 – 27 July 1920),
Minister of Industries and Commerce (10 July 1912 – 26 July 1912) and a Member of the Executive Council (without portfolio; 27 July 1920 – 16 July 1923). Fraser was widely criticised as Minister of Public Works for using railway branch lines as "electoral bait" particularly in the South Island and for not adopting new techniques.
Later life and death He was appointed a
Knight Bachelor on 6 February 1918 and, on the occasion of the royal visit by
Edward, Prince of Wales to Australia and New Zealand, a
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1920. Fraser died on 16 July 1923 at
Wellington after a short illness of only three weeks. His wife had died many years before him.
William Massey, the
Prime Minister, commented on his death: "there came to an end one of the most useful careers of this country." His funeral service was held at
Old St. Paul's in Wellington, and he was buried at
Karori Cemetery. ==Notes==