Peter Fraser (1884-1950) was a prominent socialist and Labour party politician of New Zealand. He emerged as a great wartime leader of his country and played an important part in the reconstruction following World War II.

Born in the village of Fearn in the Highlands of Scotland on Aug. 28, 1884, Peter Fraser was the son of a bootmaker of active liberal views. Young Fraser's education was curtailed so that he could help sustain his family, but in 1907 he went to London, where he became attracted to socialism and the Independent Labour party.

Socialist Leader

After a period of unemployment Fraser decided to emigrate to New Zealand and landed in Auckland in January 1911. There he joined the New Zealand Socialist party and spoke at political meetings as a supporter of the militant labor unions, which had rebelled against the more moderate Trades and Labour Councils. A laborer himself, Fraser was...