John de Vere Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst, KG, GCMG, OStJ (5 February 1895 – 30 October 1970) was a British Conservative politician and administrator.

Early years

The only son of Gerald Walter Erskine Loder, 1st Baron Wakehurst, he was born in London and educated at Eton. Although intending to go to Cambridge University, Loder was instead commissioned into the 4th Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment, and later joined the Intelligence Corps, seeing service throughout the First World War in Gallipoli, Egypt and Palestine. For his services, he was mentioned in dispatches, and left the British Army in 1919 with the rank of Captain.^[1]

Loder worked as a clerk in the Foreign Office from 1919 to 1922 and then for two years at the League of Nations in Geneva for two years. In 1920, he married Margaret Tennant, daughter of Charles Clow Tennant, by whom he had four children. Loder was elected Conservative Member of Parliament for Leicester East in 1924, a seat he held until being defeated in the 1929 General Election. Two years later, he returned to the House of Commons as member for Lewes, and represented this constituency until succeeding his father as second Baron Wakehurst in 1936.^[1]

Governor of New South Wales

The following year, Wakehurst was appointed Governor of New South Wales and made a KCMG. He was to be the last non-Australian governor of the State and arrived in Australia on 8 April 1937 and remained governor until 8 January 1946, then the longest term for a New South Wales governor. He was a popular governor and both of the Wakehursts engaged extensively in local activities, especially during World War II. In August 1939 he handled the major polititical crisis of his period adroitly when the former deputy leader of the governing United Australia Party, Eric Spooner brought down the Premier of New South Wales Bertram Stevens on a motion of no confidence. Wakehurst successfully asked the Treasurer, Alexander Mair to form a government. Although the Australian Labor Party leader at the time, Jack Lang, vehemently protested this move, his successor, William McKell, who became Premier at the May 1941 election got on well with Wakehurst.^[1]

Later life

After returning from Australia in 1946, Lord Wakehurst succeeded Earl Granville six years later as Governor of Northern Ireland. He was made a Knight of the Garter in 1962, and finally retired from office in 1964.^[1] Two years later in July 1966, Wakehurst Public School (originally Belrose South Public school) was renamed in his honour.

Lord Wakehurst was Lord Prior of the Order of St John of Jerusalem from 1948 to 1969. He died in 1970. Lady Wakehurst died in 1994, survived by a daughter and three sons.^[1]

References

fr:John de Vere Loder pl:John Loder, 2. baron Wakehurst

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