Disraeli Street (Hāwera)

There are six Disraeli Streets in New Zealand. They are all named after the same man.

Benjamin Disraeli became one of the great public figures of 19^th century Britain. However, things weren’t always successful for him.

Born in 1804, he started a career in law then decided to speculate on the stock exchange. Big losses left him in debt. He started writing to earn money. His first novel was published in 1826 and he continued writing for the rest of his life.

Travelling abroad sharpened his interest in politics and he joined the Tory party. Eventually he was elected to the House of Commons.

His influence increasing rapidly, he played significant roles in both the early reform of the country’s electoral system and the development of the Conservative party to become more broadly representative of the population. In 1868 he became leader of the party and prime minister, famously telling friends he had “climbed to the top of the greasy pole.” He became prime minister again in 1874.

Plagued by ill-health in his later years, his political career ended in failures, as most do. However, his enduring legacy was the reformed Conservative party, which went on to enjoy much more success at the ballot box than it ever had before.

In 1876 Queen Victoria awarded Disraeli the title Earl of Beaconsfield. There is a small town of the same name near London, but it’s almost certain New Zealand’s three Beaconsfield Streets and four Beaconsfield Roads are all named after Benjamin Disraeli as well.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.

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