Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Auckland Provincial District]

Late Consuls

Late Consuls.

Mr. Robert Rose, sometime Consul for Italy, has had no successor in the Consulate since his death, which took place in April, 1900. Mr. Rose was well-known in mining circles as legal manager of the Waihi Gold Mining Company, Limited, and of several other gold mining companies.

Mr. John D'Arcy Connolly, late United States Consul in and for the Colony of New Zealand, was appointed to the post in 1889, and retired when the Republicans came into power after the election of President McKinley in March, 1897. Mr. Connolly is a son of the late Mr. Daniel, Connolly, and was born at Clifton, County Galway, Ireland, in 1854. At a very early age he accompanied his parents to New York, where he was educated at the public schools, and in due course became a railway engineer and contractor. In 1874 he left for Pennsylvania, where he took part in the construction of the Lehigh and Susquehanna railway, and a year later was engaged as an engineer on the construction of the North Pacific railway from San Francisco to Duncan Mills. Mr. Connolly withdrew from his profession in 1889, when he received his commission to represent the United States of America in this Colony, and took up his headquarters at Auckland, where he soon made himself very popular. In 1893, when he left, on sick leave, on a visit to the United States, he was presented with several addresses, expressive of the good wishes of various sections of the community, including leading citizens, Friendly Societies (representing 5000 members), local Irish residents, the women of Auckland, and the Tailoresses' Union. In four months the dry sunny climate of California so far restored Mr. Connolly's health, that he was able to return to his consular duties. While he was in San Francisco Mr. Connolly delivered several lectures on New Zealand, and these were well received by the people of that city. Before entering the consular service, Mr. Connolly had, for about four years, been a member of the Board of Supervisors of Senima County. The board is the highest elective body of the county, and has full control in all county matters. He resigned his position on the 31st of December, 1888, and was appointed consul for New Zealand by Mr. Grover Cleveland, during his first term as President of the United States. Mr. Connolly continued to satisfactorily represent his country during the administration of Mr. Harrison and Mr. Cleveland's second term. He was married in 1878 to Miss Blaney, daughter of Mr. Andrew J. Blaney, of Occidental, a town in Senima County, California, and has a family of three daughters.