James Edward Fitzgerald

1867-1878 Comptroller of the Public Account, 1872-1878 Joint Commissioner of Audit, 1878-1896 Controller and Auditor-General. The second Auditor-General of New Zealand, James Edward Fitzgerald, served as Comptroller of the Public Accounts from 1867 to 1878, as Joint Commissioner of Audit from 1872 to 1878, and as Controller and Auditor-General from 1878 to 1896.

James Fitzgerald is considered by some historians to be New Zealand’s first Prime Minister. He was a staunch defender of Māori rights and a campaigner for New Zealand to be self-governing. Mr Fitzgerald was quite the culture buff; he loved singing, poetry, and painting.

The BA (Cambridge) after his name shows that James Fitzgerald had a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge. The CMG means that he was a member of the Order of St Michael and St George.