Introduction
Bruce Gillespie Barclay (21 October 1922 – 28 June 1979) was a New Zealand politician, being the Member of Parliament for Christchurch Central in the South Island.
Early life and family
Barclay was born in 1922 in Dargaville. He was the son of James Gillespie Barclay (1882–1972), a farmer, MP for Marsden (1935-1943) and Minister of Agriculture between 1941 and 1943. Ron Barclay was his cousin. Bruce Barclay received his education at Whangarei High School. His second marriage was on 2 November 1968 to Ethel Audrey Howe, the daughter of G. Howe. They had one son and two daughters. Towards the end of his life, he lived in Tancred Street in the Christchurch suburb of Linwood.
Barclay represented South Canterbury in rugby (1942–1944) and tennis (1943, 1945, 1946). From 1956, he was director of the Canterbury Dairy Farmers. He played golf for recreation.
Political career
| Parliament of New Zealand | ||||
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 1969–1972 | 36th | Christchurch Central | Labour | |
| 1972–1975 | 37th | Christchurch Central | Labour | |
| 1975–1978 | 38th | Christchurch Central | Labour | |
| 1978–1979 | 39th | Christchurch Central | Labour | |
Barclay was a member of the Lyttelton Harbour Board from 1965 to 1968. He represented the Christchurch Central electorate in the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1969 to 1979 when he died. He had previously stood unsuccessfully for Labour in Fendalton in the 1963 election, the 1966 election, and the 1967 by-election. Barclay's death on 28 June 1979 caused the 1979 Christchurch Central by-election that was won by Geoffrey Palmer.