He was elected to the Wellington City Council in 1905, as part of the Independent Political Labour League ticket. He stayed on Council until 1915. He was voted in to the Wellington Harbour Board in 1911.

With all this, he maintained an active practice as a lawyer and regularly appeared in court on behalf of his clients – who were sometimes drawn from the organisations in which he was active.

As a councilor, Hindmarsh took an active interest in Island Bay affairs, seeking lower tram fares during workers commuting hours; supporting residents seeking better beach dressing sheds, a band rotunda and a concrete bathing pool at the beach; taking a vigorous part in the debate over Salvation Army plans for a prison half-way house in Island Bay, seeking tram shelters and protection of the motormen (drivers), Christmas off for most tramway workers and higher pay for council workers

Alfred Hindmarsh’s road to parliament began with his campaign for the Newtown seat in 1905. He gained just 380 votes for the Independent Political Labour league out of about 7,000. He did not stand in 1908, but in 1911 stood for the same seat, now called Wellington South. A winning candidate needed a majority under the election law of the time, and the winner of the first ballot, the Reform party’s  R.A. Wright, failed to get an outright majority. Hindmarsh came second, with 2670 votes to Wright’s 2974. On the second ballot, Hindmarsh received 254 votes more than Wright, securing his first parliamentary victory. Street directories suggest he was still living in Island Bay at the time of his election, but soon after he moved to Newtown. In 1913 he was a secure incumbent, beating his Reform opponent – and fellow city Councillor J.P. Luke – by 4279 votes to 3064. The Party he stood for in 1914 was the United Labour Party, which predated the establishment of the present Labour Party in 1916.

Hindmarsh took a very active role in parliamentary debates, with a discursive and good-humoured style. In his first speech, he attacked the Premier, Sir Joseph Ward for appearing at a field-day at Newtown Park in uniform, wearing a cocked hat. He urged him to adopt a ‘democratic simplicity’ in his dress. He also criticized Sir Joseph’s choice of companions, asking ‘Why should the right honourable gentleman surround himself on these occasions with colonels, and generals, and majors, and captains? They are by no means the most important part of the community. Let Sir Joseph Ward, if he wants to do anything to really benefit this country, surround himself with schoolmasters. The schoolmaster is the most important man in the community. That is the name we should all honour . . . let us on every occasion take off our hats to the schoolmaster. Let us get the best men and women into the profession, so we may have an educated and cultured democracy”.

He was keenly interested in land reform, and the breaking up of large estates, and in all issues to do with workers and their rights. “Hindmarsh was considered pleasant and cultured and, despite a speech impediment, was a breezy and emphatic speaker. He certainly spoke his mind and was just as likely to criticise friends as opponents, although this was usually taken as constructive … He was generally admired for his consistency, honesty of purpose and sincerity”.

After 1914 there were six labour members of parliament, representing two parties, and one representing no party: James McCombs and Paddy Webb of the Social Democratic Party, Hindmarsh, William Veitch and Andrew Walker of the United Labour Party and John Payne, an independent. 

The life of Alfred Hindmarsh

Researched by Penelope Holden née Richards and written by Beverley Hamlin

Mr Hindmarsh was also a Wellington City Councillor from 1905 until 1915, and a member of the Wellington Harbour Board from 1911 until his death.  He was an active trade unionist in Wellington from the 1890s, and prominent in the eight-hour work day movement. He was the foundation president of the Workers Educational Association in Wellington, and president of two local unions at the time of his death. More controversially, he was president of the Wellington  branch of the Federated Seamen’s Union from 1895 until 1898 when intense infighting split the organisation after  he criticised the premier of the time, Richard Seddon.  

He was born on 18 April 1860, at Port Elliot, near Adelaide in South Australia, son of John Hindmarsh and Mary LONG.  His father was born about 1820 in France but married Mary in 1853 in London.  She was born in 1824 in England.  Soon after their marriage they emigrated to South Australia, where their children were born: John (b1858), Alfred Humphrey b1860, Mary Susan b1862, George b1864, Florence Emily b1868, Edward Edmeades b1869.  

Mary died in 1871, the same year as her son Edward.  John married again, to Matilda Drew ABSALOM the next year, and about 1878 the family travelled to New Zealand, settling in Hawke’s Bay. John purchased a large sheep station at Pohui in April 1879 and practised as a barrister.  He died in 1903 in Napier.

John’s son Alfred was educated in St Peter’s College, Adelaide, and trained as a lawyer in a Dunedin law firm.  In 1891 he was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court in Christchurch.  Shortly afterwards he moved to Wellington, where on 3 October 1892, he married Winifred TAYLOR.  (Winifred had been born in 1864 in Melbourne; daughter of Malachi Taylor and Ellen KEAN.)  

Winifred and Alfred had five children born in Wellington:  Humphrey John b1896, d1970 Napier; John Edward b1894, d1895 Wellington; Sibyl Mary b1899, d1982 Akatarawa; Joan b1904, d1992 Lower Hutt; Thomas Victor b1910, d1972 Wellington. 

Alfred practised as a solicitor in Wellington on his own account from 1894 until his death.  He died intestate and as three of his children were minors, his brother John took over his affairs.

In 1918 he died in the Fever Hospital, Newtown on 13 November, a victim of the influenza epidemic.  He was buried the next day in Karori Cemetery.  The Evening Post of 13 November published an obituary:

Mr. Alfred H. Hindmarsh, M.P. for Wellington South, and a prominent figure in Labour circles for some years past, died in Wellington Hospital at half-past 9 o'clock this morning after a brief illness.

The deceased gentleman, who had suffered from a weak heart, contracted influenza a few days ago, and pneumonia supervened. As his condition became very serious, and room could not be found for him in a private hospital, he was removed to Wellington Hospital yesterday afternoon.

Deceased was born in Adelaide about 58 years ago, and was educated at St. Peter’s College in that city. He was a son of the late Mr. J. Hindmarsh,  who settled in Napier in 1878, and a grandson of Rear Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh, first Governor of' South Australia. For some time after he came to New Zealand, Mr. Hindmarsh was in the office of Messrs. Smith, Chapman, Sinclair, and White, solicitors, Dunedin, and he was admitted as barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court, at Christchurch in 1890(i). Four years later he began to practice his profession in Wellington. At the general election in 1911, Mr. Hindmarsh stood as a Labour  candidate for Wellington South; and defeated Mr. R. A. Wright, the present member for Wellington Suburbs. In December, 1914, he was again a candidate for the same seat, and once more he was successful, his opponent being Mr. J.P. Luke, Mayor of Wellington, and the present member of Parliament, for Wellington North. In 1905 Mr. Hindmarsh was elected a member of the City Council and held a seat in that body until April, 1915. In 1911 he entered the Harbour Board, and remained a member until his death. In all his public capacities Mr. Hindmarsh did excellent work.

Mrs. Hindmarsh died some years ago. The family consists of two sons—one of whom has returned from the [war] front—and two daughters.

On 14 November the Evening Post published details of his funeral:

The great respect in which the late Mr. Alfred Humphrey Hindmarsh, M.P. for Wellington South, was held was shown by the large attendance at his funeral this afternoon. Amongst those present were a large number of members of Parliament, including Sir Joseph Ward, the Hon. D. H. Guthrie (representing the Prime Minister, who was unable to attend), representatives of the City Council and Labour organisations, members and officers of the Harbour Board, and officials of Masonic Lodge Hinemoa. The funeral service was conducted by the Rev. W. Fancourt, vicar of St. Thomas's.

He is buried at Karori Cemetery Section ROM CATH Plot 106 R