Quick Facts
Biography
William Alfred Sheat (23 May 1899 – 24 May 1982) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for two Taranaki electorates.
Early life
Sheat was born at Pihama, Taranaki, in 1899. He attended Victoria University College and graduated B.A. in 1920 and LL.B. in 1923. He married Ella Marjorie Newtown, who was also a Victoria University College graduate (M.A. in 1925), on 22 January 1929. The wedding was held at St John's Presbyterian Church in Wellington.
Political activity
Early political career
Sheat served on the Egmont County Council for twelve years. He stood as the Labour Party candidate for Taranaki in 1925, and for New Plymouth in 1931. At the 1935 election, Sheat contested the New Plymouth electorate as an Independent. He joined the National Party in 1940.
Member of Parliament
| Parliament of New Zealand | ||||
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 1943–1946 | 27th | Patea | National | |
| 1946–1949 | 28th | Patea | National | |
| 1949–1951 | 29th | Patea | National | |
| 1951–1954 | 30th | Patea | National | |
| 1954 | 30th | Patea | Independent | |
| 1957–1960 | 32nd | Egmont | National | |
| 1960–1963 | 33rd | Egmont | National | |
| 1963–1966 | 34th | Egmont | National | |
Bill Sheat represented the Patea electorate between 1943 and 1954 and then the Egmont electorate from 1957 to 1966.
In 1954, Sheat failed to gain reselection after boundary changes as a National Party candidate. On 14 May of that year, he promptly resigned his seat and won it back in the 31 July 1954 by-election as an Independent, but subsequently did not stand in the 1954 general election. In 1957 Sheat returned to Parliament as MP for Egmont and he retired in 1966.
Sheat was Undersecretary to the Minister of Works between 1949 and 1954.
Death
Sheat died on 24 May 1982, aged 83 years. He was cremated in the Wellington suburb of Karori four days later.