| Honorific-Prefix: | The Honourable |
| William Downie Stewart Jr | |
| Office: | Minister of Finance (New Zealand)Minister of Finance |
| Order: | 24th |
| Term Start: | 24 May 1926 |
| Term End: | 10 December 1928 |
| Successor: | Joseph Ward |
| Term Start2: | 22 September 1931 |
| Term End2: | 28 January 1933 |
| Successor2: | Gordon Coates |
| Office3: | Attorney-General (New Zealand)Attorney-General |
| Order3: | 13th |
| Term Start3: | 18 January 1926 |
| Term End3: | 24 May 1926 |
| Successor3: | Frank Rolleston |
| Term Start4: | 22 September 1931 |
| Term End4: | 28 January 1933 |
| Successor4: | George Forbes |
| Office5: | Minister of Justice (New Zealand)Minister of Justice |
| Order5: | 27th |
| Term Start5: | 26 November 1928 |
| Term End5: | 10 December 1928 |
| Successor5: | Thomas Wilford |
| Office6: | Minister of Police (New Zealand)Minister of Police |
| Order6: | 12th |
| Term Start6: | 26 November 1928 |
| Term End6: | 10 December 1928 |
| Successor6: | Thomas Wilford |
| Office7: | Minister of Defence (New Zealand)Minister of Defence |
| Order7: | 16th |
| Term Start7: | 28 November 1928 |
| Term End7: | 10 December 1928 |
| Successor7: | Thomas Wilford |
| Office8: | Minister of Customs (New Zealand)Minister of Customs |
| Order8: | 30th |
| Term Start8: | 9 March 1921 |
| Term End8: | 10 December 1928 |
| Successor8: | William Taverner |
| Term Start9: | 22 September 1931 |
| Term End9: | 28 January 1933 |
| Successor9: | Gordon Coates |
| Office10: | Minister of Industries and Commerce |
| Order10: | 8th |
| Term Start10: | 13 January 1923 |
| Term End10: | 24 May 1926 |
| Successor10: | Alex McLeod |
| Office11: | Minister of Revenue (New Zealand)Minister of Revenue |
| Order11: | 6th |
| Term Start11: | 24 May 1926 |
| Term End11: | 10 December 1928 |
| Successor11: | Joseph Ward |
| Term Start12: | 22 September 1931 |
| Term End12: | 28 January 1933 |
| Successor12: | Gordon Coates |
| Office13: | Minister of Statistics (New Zealand)Minister of Statistics |
| Order13: | 1st |
| Term Start13: | February 1922 |
| Term End13: | 27 June 1923 |
| Predecessor13: | Position established |
| Successor13: | Richard Bollard |
| Office14: | Minister of Internal Affairs (New Zealand)Minister of Internal Affairs |
| Order14: | 7th |
| Term Start14: | 1 March 1921 |
| Term End14: | 27 June 1923 |
| Successor14: | Richard Bollard |
| Parliament15: | New Zealand |
| Term Start15: | 1914 |
| Term End15: | 1935 |
| Term Start16: | 1913 |
| Term End16: | 1914 |
| Birth Date: | 29 July 1878 |
| Birth Place: | Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Death Place: | Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Nationality: | New Zealand |
| Parents: | William Downie Stewart Sr (father) |
William Downie Stewart (29 July 1878 – 29 September 1949) was a New Zealand Finance Minister, Mayor of Dunedin and writer.[1]
Stewart was born in Dunedin in 1878. His father was William Downie Stewart, a lawyer and politician. His mother was Rachel Hepburn, daughter of George Hepburn. One of his four siblings was Rachelina (Rachel) Hepburn Armitage. Stewart's mother died within months of his birth, leaving him and his four siblings to be raised by nannies and nurses. From 1888–1894, he attended Otago Boys' High School and continued his studies at the University of Otago.[1]
Downie Stewart was the author of a number of books.He and the American economist James Edward Le Rossignol of the University of Denver published State socialism in New Zealand in 1910. A reviewer called the book "an illuminating study of the remarkable series of instructive experiments in socialistic legislation, for which New Zealand has become conspicuous, together with that Australian Commonwealth, which is its nearest neighbour."[2]
Downie Stewart was Mayor of Dunedin (1913–1914).He represented the Dunedin West electorate from 1914 to 1935. His father had previously represented the Dunedin West electorate.
Downie Stewart was Finance Minister in 1931–1933. He resigned after the devaluation of the New Zealand currency, a measure he opposed.[3] [4] Downie Stewart stood in the 1935 general election as an Independent United-Reform Coalition candidate, losing to Labour's Dr Gervan McMillan.
In July 1934, he became the first chairman of the newly formed New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, the local branch of Chatham House.[5] He ceded that position to Bill Barnard, the speaker of the House, the NZIIA merged with the local branch of the Institute of Pacific Relations in late 1939.
In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[6]
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