The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Auckland Provincial District]
Auckland Corporation
Auckland Corporation.
In virtue of an Act passed by the Parliament of New Zealand in the session of 1900, municipal elections, under altered conditions, were held throughout the Colony in April, 1901.
At that date the membership of the Auckland City Council—see pages 116–121 of this volume for its previous constitution—became constituted anew as follows: Dr. Legan Campbell, Mayor; and Messrs Alfred Kidd, F. E. Baume, Charles Grey, T. T. Masefield, J. H. Hannan, Peter Dignan, C. J. Parr, James Stichbury, John Court, John Patterson, H. T. Garrett, J. W. Hewson, A. E. Glover, J. T. Julian, and Arthur Rosser, councillors.
Hanna, photo.
Dr. J. L. Campbell.
Some time after the Royal visit—namely, on the 25th of July—Dr. Campbell resigned office as Mayor. In accepting the resignation and placing upon record the salient circumstances of Dr. Campbell's tenure of office, the City Council very specially referred to the gift of Cornwall Park, and expressed its assurance that “future generations of citizens, in enjoying the benefits to arise from the public use of that great estate, would recall with grateful affection the memory of John Logan Campbell, and would justly appreciate the magnificent gift by the ‘Father of Auckland’ to the people of these islands of New Zealand.” When acknowledging this resolution of the Council, Dr. Campbell said: “I rejoice to think that Cornwall Park is worthy of all you have said; but it is a still greater joy to me that I have been able to fulfil my life ambition. Again and again, amidst the changing fortunes of my later years, there have been times when I have seen hopes long cherished elude my grasp. Yet in the end success has come, and in giving the park to the public, I have lived to receive the crowning happiness of my life. Fortune placed it in my power to obtain One Tree Hill estate at a time when an area so large could be purchased, and yet happier fortune has enabled me to keep the property intact, and finally to devote it to the end for which it was from the first designed. I will venture to hope that the purpose of Cornwall Park will be attained, that it will be found a much-needed retreat from the busy cares of city life; that the surpassing beauty of its scenery will stimulate communion with nature, and that this communion will steadily administer to an increasing love of purity and beauty, and held—as, if properly enjoyed, it most surely will help—to educate in the people a character consonant with the highest civilisation.”
Such are the chief points in the history of the most interesting mayoralty hitherto connected with the city of Auckland. The portrait here given represents Dr. Logan Campbell in his robes of office. Dr. Campbell is referred to at page 40 of this volume as one of the Superintendents of the Province of Auckland, and at other places in other capacities.
In consequence of the retirement of Dr. Logan Campbell, the City Council, at a special meeting held on the 30th of July, elected Councillor Alfred Kidd, the deputy-mayor, to be Mayor of Auckland, in terms of the thirty-fifth clause of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1900. An article on Mr. Kidd appears on page 117 of this volume. Through Mr. Kidd's election as Mayor, one of the councillorships became vacant, and Mr. J. McLeod was elected by the citizens to the position on the 21st of August, 1901.