Thomas Sidey
Sir Thomas Kay Sidey was a New Zealand politician from the Otago region, remembered for his successful advocacy of daylight saving time.
Early life
Sidey was born on 27 May 1863, to John and Johan Murray Sidey, in the Dunedin suburb of Corstorphine. His father had come to wealth during the Otago gold rush as a storekeeper. Tom Sidey attended Otago Boys' High School and graduated from the University of Otago with a law degree in 1889. In the following decade, he worked as a solicitor.He married Helena on 17 June 1903. They had one son.
Political career
Sidey was a member of the Caversham Borough Council. He was elected Mayor of Caversham on three occasions: in 1894, 1899 and 1901.Sidey was elected to the House of Representatives in the Caversham by-election as an independent liberal in 1901. The by-election was caused by the death of Arthur Morrison. Sidey joined the Liberal Party as part of its left wing, and stayed with the party until the end.
Sidey represented the Caversham electorate from 1901 to 1908, and then the Dunedin South electorate from 1908 [New Zealand general election|1908] to 1928, when he retired. He was then appointed to the Legislative Council from 1928 until 1933.
Sidey was Attorney-General and Minister of Justice in the United government.
Sidey put forward a private member's bill for putting clocks forward an hour in summer every year from 1909. It was nearly passed in 1915. It was passed in the New Zealand [House of Representatives|House of Representatives] but rejected by the Legislative Council in 1926. It was finally approved in 1927.
In the 1930 [New Year Honours (New Zealand)|1930 New Year Honours], Sidey was appointed a Knight Bachelor.