George Buckley (New Zealand politician)

The Hon George Buckley

George Buckley (18 July 1830 – 19 November 1895) was a New Zealand runholder and politician.

Buckley was born on 18 July 1830 in Chatham, Kent, England. His parents were William Henry Buckley and Elizabeth (née Clark.[1][2] His grandfather was a captain killed in the Battle of Waterloo. The family emigrated to Australia in 1840. George Buckley was at first a clerk in the Melbourne treasury office, and then a draughtsman in the city's survey department. Together with his brother John, he then joined Dalgety & Co.

Buckley married Alexandrina McLean on 25 February 1860; she was the sister of John and Allan McLean.[3][4]

He was a partner in the Lyttelton firm Dalgety, Buckley, and Co.[5] John and Allan McLean bought the Waikakahi run near Waimate in 1866, and they took Buckley into their business partnership. Buckley sold his shares to the McLean brothers in 1875.[6]

Buckley was a member of the Canterbury Provincial Council. He represented the Town of Lyttelton electorate (1862–1866) and then the Waimate electorate until the abolition of provincial government (1866–1876).[7] He was a member of the Executive Council for three periods: in November 1866, from August to October 1871, and from April 1875 to June 1876.[8] He held the offices of Deputy-Superintendent and Provincial Secretary.[9] He stood in the 1866 election in the Heathcote electorate, but was defeated by John Hall (who was later to become the 12th Premier).[10]

He was a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council from 3 July 1871 to 19 August 1884 when he was disqualified for absence; and 28 October 1884 to 9 September 1885 when he resigned.[11]

Buckley was the president of the Bank of New Zealand for a short time in the late 1880s. His revelations about the financial situation of the bank caused "a good deal of sensation".[9] He left for Melbourne after his resignation from the bank, and he died in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton on 19 November 1895 after having been unwell for some time.[5][12] He was survived by his wife, three daughters, and three sons,[5] is buried in the Brighton Cemetery.[9] His wife died in 1902 aged 70.[13] His son George became notable through an Antarctic journey.[14] His youngest daughter, Ruby, married Arthur Rolleston in 1899.[15]

Buckleys Road in the Christchurch suburb of Linwood is named after him.[2]

  1. ^ Macdonald, George. "George Buckley". Macdonald Dictionary. Canterbury Museum. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b Harper, Margaret. "Christchurch Street Names B" (PDF). Christchurch City Libraries. p. 164. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  3. ^ Scholefield 1940, p. 114.
  4. ^ "Married". Lyttelton Times. Vol. XIII, no. 763. 29 February 1860. p. 4. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  5. ^ a b c "Death of Mr George Buckley". The Evening Post. Vol. L, no. 123. 21 November 1895. p. 2. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  6. ^ Crawford, Noel. "Allan McLean". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  7. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 192.
  8. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 190.
  9. ^ a b c "The Late Mr George Buckley". The Press. Vol. LII, no. 9281. 5 December 1895. p. 5. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  10. ^ "Heathcote election". The Press. Vol. IX, no. 1034. 2 March 1866. p. 2. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  11. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 150.
  12. ^ "Family Notices". The Argus. 20 November 1895. p. 1. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  13. ^ Greenaway, Richard L. N. (June 2007). "Addington Cemetery Tour" (PDF). Christchurch: Christchurch City Libraries. p. 11. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  14. ^ Yarwood, Vaughan (January–February 2019). "The southern party". New Zealand Geographic. No. 155. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  15. ^ "Marriage". The Star. No. 6564. 15 August 1899. p. 3. Retrieved 10 October 2022.