19 Facts About Joe Cotterill

Joseph Bernard Francis Cotterill was a New Zealand trade unionist, sport administrator and politician of the Labour Party.

Joe Cotterill was born in 1905 in Wanganui, both his parents were foundation members of the Labour Party, and entered an apprenticeship as a painter, working at the East Town Railway Workshops.

Joe Cotterill was an active athlete and played competitive rugby, hockey, swimming and rowing as well as a surf lifesaver.

Joe Cotterill was an active member of the Pirate Rugby Club and the Union Boat Club.

Joe Cotterill served as a sports administrator as well for many years.

Joe Cotterill was president of the Wanganui Swimming Centre for ten years.

Joe Cotterill joined the Labour Party in 1928 and became secretary of first the Wanganui East branch and later the Wanganui LRC.

Joe Cotterill served in the New Zealand Army during World War II and was the first chairman of the Wanganui rehabilitation committee when it was established in 1943, serving as its head for many years.

Joe Cotterill represented the Wanganui electorate from 1935 to 1960, when he retired for family reasons, by which time he was Wanganui's longest ever serving MP.

Joe Cotterill became Labour's junior whip in 1951 and was senior whip from 1952 until 1958.

Joe Cotterill was regarded as one of the best performing backbenchers of the First Labour Government and many thought he was more than unlucky to miss out on a place in cabinet after the formation of the Second Labour Government in 1957.

Joe Cotterill was particularly interested in foreign affairs and spoke frequently on the topic in parliament.

Joe Cotterill was New Zealand's representative at two Commonwealth association conferences, in Ottawa in 1952 and Kampala in 1960.

Joe Cotterill was the chair of a select committee on irrigation in New Zealand.

In 1953, Joe Cotterill was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.

Joe Cotterill was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for public services, in the 1974 Queen's Birthday Honours.

In 1976, Joe Cotterill had a leg amputated and suffered from ill health frequently thereafter.

Joe Cotterill was admitted to Wanganui Hospital in June 1982 and died there on 8 July 1982.

Joe Cotterill was survived by his wife, three children, eleven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.