Edward Gibbon Wakefield, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Edward Gibbon Wakefield

New Zealand politician

Date of Birth: 20-Mar-1796

Place of Birth: London

Date of Death: 16-May-1862

Profession: writer, politician, economist, diplomat, settler

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Edward Gibbon Wakefield (20 March 1796 – 16 May 1862) is considered a key figure in the establishment of the colonies of South Australia and New Zealand (where he later served as an MP).
He also had some interests in Canada, being elected to Parliament but never taking up the seat. He was best known for his colonisation scheme, sometimes referred to as the Wakefield scheme, which aimed to populate the new Province South Australia with a workable combination of labourers, tradespeople, artisans and capital.
The scheme was to be financed by the sale of land to the capitalists who would thereby support the other classes of emigrants. Despite being imprisoned for three years in 1827 for kidnapping a fifteen-year-old girl, he enjoyed a distinguished political career.