Frederick Moor
Sir Frederick Robert Moor, was a South African politician who served as the last Prime Minister of the Colony of Natal between 1906 and 1910.
Moor was born in Pietermaritzburg, the son of a farmer and Byrne Settler. He was educated at the Hermannsburg School. Aged nineteen, Moor went to the newly-discovered diamond fields at Kimberley, where he met his wife and remained for seven years. In 1879, he sold his claims and returned to Natal to farm. In 1886, he was elected to the Natal Legislative Council for Weenen County, and agitated for responsible government. He served as Minister of Native Affairs between 1893–97 and 1899–1903. As minister, he strongly favoured upholding customary law and the power of native chiefs.
In November 1906, he succeeded Charles John Smythe as prime minister. He strongly supported the unification of South Africa. When the Union of South Africa was established in 1910 the position of prime minister of Natal lapsed, and Moor became Minister of Commerce and Industries in Louis Botha's cabinet, but was quickly defeated in the 1910 election. He was then nominated to the Senate, and served until 1920. That year he retired to his farm near Estcourt.
Moor was sworn of the Privy Council in 1907, when he attended the Imperial Conference, and appointed KCMG in 1911.
