George Read

Who was George Read?

George Edward Read was a 19th-century Member of Parliament from the Gisborne Region of New Zealand.

Read was born in Mendlesham, Suffolk, England, in either 1814 or 1815. Little is known of his early life. He came to the Pacific in the 1830s on a whaling ship, and worked on trading ships. By 1852, he owned a schooner. He was a prominent trader and landowner in the Gisborne area from 1852.

Following the general election held on 6 January 1876, he represented the East Coast electorate until 22 August, when he was unseated on a petition.