Education
Born in Nelson, in 1870, Atmore attended the Nelson Public School and represented the province in rugby.
Born in Nelson, in 1870, Atmore attended the Nelson Public School and represented the province in rugby.
Harry Atmore held the Nelson seat as an Independent for a total of thirty years from 1911 to 1914 and then from 1919 to his death in 1946. He was Minister of Education and Minister in charge of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research) in Sir Joseph Ward"s United Government of 1928 to 1931, and the acting Prime Minister of New Zealand for approximately five months between 25 August 1930 and 21 January 1931. He moved to Wellington and spent eight years there as an apprentice signwriter and decorator.
After his apprenticeship, Atmore returned to Nelson and established his own signwriting and decorating business.
Atmore was prominent in local affairs In 1905, he was elected to the Nelson City Council.
Later, he served on the Nelson College Council of Governors and Cawthron Institute Trust Board. Atmore unsuccessfully contested the Nelson seat in 1902, 1905 and 1908 against the Liberal John Graham.
He lost the election in 1914, but returned to parliament in 1919 after unsuccessfully contesting the Wellington Central 1918 by-election.
Atmore served as Nelson"s representative until his death in 1946. He was buried at Wakapuaka Cemetery. Independent
He believed that politicians should be, first and foremost, representatives of the people.
Harry Atmore read and thought widely.
He was one New Zealander who was looking for solutions to problems within the altered economic, social and political context of inter-war New Zealand. He believed it was important to be informed on the issues of the day including monetary reform, international rearmament and the pivotal role of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics in any crisis.
In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Meda Robert Chapman comments on Harry Atmore:
Nelson even shares with Hobson a record of preferring political idiosyncrancy.
Having begun as an Independent Liberal, he thereafter passed through many shades of independence to finish as his own variety of consistently pro-Labour Member of Parliament
Atmore"s political independence was always discernible. That when elected they should put principle before party: Atmore resigned as Minister of Education in 1931 when cuts were proposed for his portfolio, something which he opposed.
Nine times out of ten between 1911 and 1946 Nelson voted for Harry Atmore, who confounded cynics by moving to the Left politically as he got older.
He was a member of the Nelson Licensing Committee, Education Board and Hospital Board. In 1911 he became Nelson"son