---
aliases:
  - William Francis Birch
  - Sir William Birch
category: "Political Figure"
tags:
  - Person
  - NewZealand
  - Politician
  - Energy
  - ThinkBig
  - RCHorsch
summary: "New Zealand National Party minister of energy from 1978 to 1984, the minister behind the Think Big projects, and later finance minister; he co-announced the 1981 Temuka distillery licence."
born: 1934
died: 2026-07
location: "Pukekohe, New Zealand"
relations:
  - type: member_of
    with: "[[Executive Council of New Zealand]]"
    role: "Minister of Energy and Minister of National Development"
    start: 1978-12-13
    end: 1984-07-26
    fn: 2
created: 2026-09-23
updated: 2026-09-23
---

William Francis "Bill" Birch (1934 to July 2026) was a [[New Zealand]] National Party politician who served 27 years in Parliament and held, by one count, 15 portfolios in 12 years of government, earning the nickname "Minister for Everything."[^1]

### Early Career

Born in Hastings in 1934 and educated at Hamilton Technical College, Birch qualified as a surveyor in 1957, practised in [[Pukekohe]], and was twice the town's deputy mayor before winning the Franklin seat for the National Party in the 1972 election. He became a party whip in 1974 and senior whip in 1975.[^1]

### Energy and Think Big

On December 13, 1978, in the ministry of [[Robert Muldoon]] formed after that year's election, he was appointed "Minister of Energy, Minister of National Development and Minister of Science and Technology."[^2] At the reshuffle of February 12, 1981, he resigned Science and Technology to [[Ian Shearer]] and was appointed Minister of Regional Development in addition.[^3] As Minister of National Development he was at the centre of the government's [[Think Big]] programme of state-led industrialization and energy self-sufficiency, "sometimes against Treasury advice," in the words of Radio New Zealand's obituary.[^1] On July 14, 1981, he and the Minister of Customs, [[Hugh Templeton]], announced a licence for the ethanol distillery of [[Chemical Technology Limited]] at [[Temuka]]; Birch said it would save 250,000 dollars a year in overseas funds.[^4] He resigned the offices of Minister of Energy, Minister of National Development and Minister of Regional Development on July 26, 1984, after National's defeat.[^5]

### Later Career

In opposition Birch was third-ranked in the party and an adviser to its leaders Muldoon, [[Jim McLay]] and [[Jim Bolger]]. After National's return to office he became Minister of Finance in 1993, replacing [[Ruth Richardson]]. He died in July 2026, aged 92; Prime Minister [[Christopher Luxon]] called him a "giant" of the National Party.[^1]

### Footnotes

[^1]: "Former finance minister Sir Bill Birch dies," *RNZ,* July 17, 2026. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics/734057/former-finance-minister-sir-bill-birch-dies
[^2]: *New Zealand Gazette,* December 13, 1978, Extraordinary, No. 107, p. 3406 ("The Honourable William Francis Birch, to be Minister of Energy, Minister of National Development and Minister of Science and Technology"). https://gazette.howison.co.nz/nzg/1978/issue/107/page/3406
[^3]: *New Zealand Gazette,* February 12, 1981, Extraordinary, No. 14, p. 323 ("The Honourable William Francis Birch, of the office of Minister of Science and Technology"). https://gazette.howison.co.nz/nzg/1981/issue/14/page/323
[^4]: "Ethanol plant at Temuka," *The Press* (Christchurch), July 15, 1981. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19810715.2.31
[^5]: *New Zealand Gazette,* July 26-27, 1984, Supplement, No. 130, p. 2911 ("The Honourable William Francis Birch, of the Offices of Minister of Energy, Minister of National Development and Minister Regional Development"). https://gazette.howison.co.nz/nzg/1984/issue/130/page/2911