Matthew Birchall: The value in Vogel

Political theatre is not usually associated with Julius Vogel (1835-99), the chief architect of the radical expansion of New Zealand’s rail network in the 1870s. A poor speaker, Vogel was also partially deaf in one ear – no small handicap in the heyday of parliamentary debate.

And yet Vogel’s financial statement of 1870 ranks as one of the most important speeches in New Zealand’s political history. Over the course of more than 3 hours on the evening of 28 June, the ambitious young Colonial Treasurer laid out an economic plan that would transform the country beyond recognition.