Ian Shearer

For the Scottish lawyer and judge, see Ian Shearer, Lord Avonside.

The Honourable Ian Shearer
5th Minister for the Environment
In office 12 February 1981 – 26 July 1984
Prime Minister	Robert Muldoon
Preceded by	Venn Young
Succeeded by	Russell Marshall
16th Minister of Science and Technology
In office 12 February 1981 – 26 July 1984
Prime Minister	Robert Muldoon
Preceded by	Bill Birch
Succeeded by	Bob Tizard
15th Minister of Broadcasting
In office 11 December 1981 – 26 July 1984
Prime Minister	Robert Muldoon
Preceded by	Warren Cooper
Succeeded by	Jonathan Hunt
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Hamilton East
In office 1975–1984
Preceded by	Rufus Rogers
Succeeded by	Bill Dillon
Personal details
Born	Ian John Shearer (1941-12-10)10 December 1941 Whakatāne, New Zealand
Died	1 June 2021(2021-06-01) (aged 79) Whakatāne, New Zealand
Political party	National New Zealand First

Ian John Shearer (10 December 1941 – 1 June 2021) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party, environmentalist and research scientist.

Early life and education

Shearer was born at Whakatāne in 1941, the son of Jack Sewell Shearer. He received his education from Whakatane Primary and Whakatane High School. He completed bachelor's and master's degrees at Massey University in agricultural science and a PhD in reproductive physiology at the University of Nottingham.

Career

Shearer spent nine years as an animal scientist at the Ruakura Research Centre before becoming a member of parliament in 1975.

New Zealand Parliament

Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1975–1978	38th	Hamilton East			National
1978–1981	39th	Hamilton East			National
1981–1984	40th	Hamilton East			National

He represented the Hamilton East electorate in Parliament from 1975 to 1984, when he was defeated by Bill Dillon. Under Robert Muldoon, he was Minister for the Environment, Minister of Science and Technology, and Minister of Broadcasting.

In 1985, Shearer publicly questioned the National Party on membership and finances, which resulted in the suspension of his membership in October of that year. Although the suspension was lifted, Shearer resigned all his party roles in December 1985. He later joined the New Zealand First Party which was largely made up of National Party dissidents and stood as the New Zealand First candidate in the Onehunga electorate at the 1993 general election, losing to Labour's Richard Northey.

After leaving politics Shearer was the dean of science and engineering at the Auckland University of Technology for nine years and served on the Waitangi Tribunal. He retired from public service in 2005.

He published his autobiography The Boy from the Bay in 2006.

Personal life

Shearer was married twice, firstly to Sandra May Griffiths, the daughter of Ivor David Griffiths on 5 December 1964, and secondly to Cheryl. He and Sandra had one son and one daughter.

Shearer died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at his home in Whakatāne on 1 June 2021.

Publications

• The Boy from the Bay: an autobiography (2006)
• Whakatāne Hospital, Te Whatumauri Hauora : a history (2011)
• Ōwhakatoro : Sisam & Sons : from Clydesdales to computers (2013) – with Barrie Macdonald
• A century on Cameron Road : a history of Tauranga Hospital, 1914–2014 (2016) – with Dr Rex E Wright-St Clair
• Family – the Shearers of Ōkaiawa : the history of a pioneer family (2018)
• The adventures of Slim Jim (2020)
• Antarctica twice, and related issues (2020)

References

• Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
• Traue, James Edward (1978). Who's Who in New Zealand, 1978 (11th ed.). Wellington: Reed Publishing.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.