Rolland O'Regan

O'Regan was born in 1904 and was educated at St Patrick's College.{{sfn|Traue|1978|pp=212}} His father was Patrick O'Regan, then a Member of Parliament and later a prominent Wellington judge{{cite news |title=Former surgeon and city councillor dies |work=The Dominion |date=24 November 1992 |page=5 }} of the Arbitration Court.

He married Rena Bradshaw (of Ngāi Tahu descent) in 1932 and would later change his name by deed poll from John Arthur Rolland O'Regan to Rolland O'Regan.

He received his tertiary education at the University of Otago, where he studied medicine, graduating as a doctor in 1928.{{cite web |url=http://shadowsoftime.co.nz/university18.html |title=NZ university graduates 1871–1960: Mu-O | website=shadowsoftime |access-date=3 August 2018}} He became a house surgeon at Wellington Hospital for several years, before moving to Britain to do further postgraduate studies. He returned to New Zealand and set up a medical practice of his own. He supported the First Labour Government in their reform of the healthcare system, one of only a few doctors who did so.

During World War II he served as a surgeon aboard three different hospital ships (the Maunganui, Oranje and Pacific Star) where he was largely responsible for the evacuation of wounded Allied servicemen from Burma.

O'Regan was President of the Cancer Society for two years from 1963 to 1965.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19650910.2.41 |title=Cancer Society Officers |work=The Press |volume=CIV |issue=30852 |date=10 September 1965 |page=3 }} In 1973 he was elected to the council of the New Zealand Neurological Foundation.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19730210.2.102 |title=Personal Items |work=The Press |volume=CXIII |issue=33147 |date=10 February 1973 |page=14 }}

O'Regan got his first taste of political activism when he became the chairman of the Citizens' All Black Tour Association that called for the abandonment of the 1960 All Black tour to South Africa. He unsuccessfully lobbied for the government to intervene and cancel the tour alongside such figures as George Nēpia and Vincent Bevan. He remained the chairman until 1966.

In 1965 O'Regan was elected to the Wellington City Council on a Labour Party ticket.{{cite report |last=Petersen |first=G.A. |date=23 October 1965 |title=Declaration of Election Results |publisher=Wellington City Council }} He was a popular councillor, always polling highly, and topped the poll on two consecutive elections. He retired from the council in 1974. He was also a member of the Wellington Harbour Board. He was first elected in 1968 and served three years as chairman (1971–74).{{cite book |first=David |last=Johnson |chapter=Members and Officers of the Wellington Harbour Board, Appendix 1 |page=475 |title=Wellington Harbour |publisher=Wellington Maritime Museum Trust |year=1996 |isbn=0958349800}} In 1974 was elected president of the Harbours Association at its annual conference, succeeding Sir Henry Blyde.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19740327.2.119 |title=Harbours Assn officers |work=The Press |volume=CXIV |issue=33494 |date=27 March 1974 |page=11 }}

O'Regan stood for election to the New Zealand House of Representatives for the Labour Party for the seat of {{NZ electorate link|Wellington Central}} in {{NZ election link year|1966}} finishing runner-up.{{sfn|Norton|1988|pp=386}} Soon afterwards O'Regan was approached to stand for Labour in the 1967 Petone by-election, however he was not selected as a candidate.{{cite news |work=The Evening Post |title=Labour Contenders Not Lacking For Petone Seat |date=10 February 1967 |page=22 }} From 1969 to 1970 he was a member of the Labour Party executive.{{sfn|Traue|1978|pp=212}}

He was famed as a tireless public advocate and was a member of the Victoria University Council, the Wellington Polytechnic Council, the Carter Observatory Board and the Wellington Free Ambulance executive.{{sfn|Traue|1978|pp=212}} In 1977 the Wellington City Council opened a block of 32 flats in Newtown, next to Wellington Zoo, that housed 70 pensioners. It was named Rolland O'Regan House in his honour for services to the city.{{cite news |title=O'Regan opens 'his' building |work=The Dominion |date=1 October 1977 |page=3 }}

O'Regan died on 20 November 1992, aged 88, and was buried at Karori Cemetery.{{cite web |url=https://wellington.govt.nz/services/community-and-culture/cemeteries/cemeteries-search/details?id=67476&serviceType=Burial |title=Cemeteries search |publisher=Wellington City Council |access-date=12 May 2019}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{cite book |title=Who's Who in New Zealand, 1978 |last=Traue |first=James Edward |year=1978 |edition=11th |publisher=Reed Publishing |location=Wellington}}
• {{cite book |last = Norton |first = Clifford |title = New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science |year = 1988 |publisher = Victoria University of Wellington |location = Wellington |isbn = 0-475-11200-8}}

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{{s-bef | before=Eric Malcolm Hodder}}

{{s-ttl | title=Chair of Wellington Harbour Board|years= 1971–1974}}

{{s-aft | after=Henry Alan James}}

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Category:1904 births

Category:1992 deaths

Category:People educated at St Patrick's College, Wellington

Category:University of Otago alumni

Category:New Zealand military personnel of World War II

Category:Wellington City Councillors

Category:Wellington Harbour Board members

Category:New Zealand Labour Party politicians

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1966 New Zealand general election

Category:Burials at Karori Cemetery

Category:20th-century New Zealand surgeons