Benjamin Harris (New Zealand politician)

Harris was born at Lisburn, Ireland, in 1836.{{cite news |title=Death of Major Harris |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=AS19280213.2.111 |access-date=20 November 2013 |work=Auckland Star |volume=LIX |issue=36 |date=13 February 1928 |page=9}} The family migrated to England, Canada, and Australia, before settling in New Zealand in East Tāmaki in 1847.{{cite news |title=People in Perspective |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZTR19240223.2.4 |access-date=20 November 2013 |work=New Zealand Truth |issue=952 |date=23 February 1924 |page=1}} Early in his life, he had a farm in Pukekohe. With the outbreak of the New Zealand Wars, he joined the Otahuhu Cavalry Volunteers in 1861, and, as The Press in Christchurch as a contemporary source records, "for a few years subsequently galloped about slaying Maoris {{sic}} in the interests of settlement, civilisation, and Christianity."{{cite news |title=Mr Benjamin Harris |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP18940911.2.34.3 |access-date=20 November 2013 |work=The Press |volume=LI |issue=8895 |date=11 September 1894 |page=5}} He returned to his farm in 1866 and married the following year. The locality of Harrisville was named after him as he was the major landowner.{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand|volume=2. Auckland Povincial District|year=1902|article=Harrisville|url=http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc02Cycl-t1-body1-d3-d2-d12.html}}

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1879}}

|end = 1881

|term = 7th

|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Franklin}}

|party = Independent politician

}}

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1881}}

|end = 1882

|term = 8th

|electorate = Franklin North

|party = Independent politician

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|start = {{By-election link year|Franklin North|1882}}

|end = 1884

|term = 8th

|electorate = Franklin North

|party = Independent politician

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1893}}

|end = 1896

|term = 12th

|electorate = Franklin

|party = New Zealand Liberal Party

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He represented the Ramarama electorate on the Auckland Provincial Council from October 1874 until the abolition of provincial councils two years later.{{sfn|Scholefield|1950|p=184}}

He represented South Auckland electorates; Franklin from 1879 to 1881; and then the replacement electorate of Franklin North from 1881. His 1881 election was declared void in 1882, but he won the subsequent {{By-election link|Franklin North|1882}}. In 1884 he was defeated.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=203}} He contested the {{NZ election link|1890}} in the reconstituted Franklin electorate, but was defeated by Ebenezer Hamlin.{{cite web |title=The General Election, 1890 |url= https://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&cl=search&d=AJHR1891-I.2.1.6.2 |publisher=National Library |access-date=25 February 2012 |page=1 |year=1891}}

Harris then represented the Franklin electorate from 1893 to 1896, when he was again defeated, by future Prime Minister William Massey.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|pp=203, 219}}

From 1895 until 1896 he was the Liberal Party's junior whip.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|pp=279}}

On 3 February 1897, he was appointed to the Legislative Council. At the end of the seven-year terms, he was reappointed in 1904, 1911 and 1918. He resigned on 20 June 1923.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=155}}

Late in his life, he lived in Clyde Street in Epsom.{{cite news |title=Deaths |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=AS19280213.2.3 |access-date=20 November 2013 |work=Auckland Star |volume=LIX |issue=36 |date=13 February 1928 |page=1}} He died at his home, Taumaihi, on 12 February 1928 and was buried at Pukekohe Cemetery. He was survived by his wife Jane, three daughters and one son.

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite book |last=Hamer |first=David A. |author-link=D. A. Hamer |title=The New Zealand Liberals: The Years of Power, 1891–1912 |year=1988 |place=Auckland |publisher=Auckland University Press |isbn=1-86940-014-3 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/newzealandlibera0000hame }}
• {{cite book |author-link= Guy Scholefield | last = Scholefield | first= Guy | title = New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 | edition = 3rd |orig-date=First published in 1913 | year = 1950 |publisher = Govt. Printer |location = Wellington}}
• {{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-date=First published in 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher=V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc=154283103}}

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{{s-par | nz}}

{{s-new | constituency}}

{{s-ttl | title = Member of Parliament for Franklin North | years = 1881–1884}}

{{s-aft | after = Frank Buckland }}

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Category:1836 births

Category:1928 deaths

Category:New Zealand Liberal Party MPs

Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives

Category:Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council

Category:Members of the Auckland Provincial Council

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1884 New Zealand general election

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1890 New Zealand general election

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1896 New Zealand general election

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1887 New Zealand general election

Category:New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates

Category:Burials at Pukekohe Cemetery