James Job Holland (1841 – 31 August 1922) was a

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

Member of Parliament in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

, New Zealand, and the mayor of

from 1893 to 1896.

Biography

Early life

Born in

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

, England, Holland trained as a builder under his father before emigrating to New Zealand in 1860, settling in Auckland in 1864 after spending time in the Otago gold fields and serving as a sergeant with the Militia in the

Waikato The Waikato () is a region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipā District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the nort ...

during the

New Zealand Wars The New Zealand Wars () took place from 1845 to 1872 between the Colony of New Zealand, New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori people, Māori on one side, and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. Though the wars were initi ...

. He established a building and contracting business, and was prominent in many civic and charitable bodies in Auckland. He was a member of Manchester Unity, an

Oddfellow Odd Fellows (or Oddfellows when referencing the Grand United Order of Oddfellows or some British-based fraternities; also Odd Fellowship or Oddfellowship) is an international fraternity consisting of lodges first documented in 1730 in London. ...

and a

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

. In 1864, Holland married Agnes Melvin MacKenzie, daughter of Duncan MacKenzie, of Glasgow, and the couple went on to have three daughters and three sons. In 1900, Holland was president of the Auckland Builders and Contractors Union of Employers.

Political career

In 1886, Holland was elected as city councillor for the city's Eastern Ward. He also served two terms on the

Auckland Harbour Board The Auckland Harbour Board was a public body that operated the ports of both Auckland and Onehunga from 1871 to 1988 and was dissolved in 1989. Its successor organisation is Ports of Auckland, which assumed the possessions and responsibilities o ...

and was for some years a member of the Hospital Board. Later, in 1893 he was elected

Mayor of Auckland City The Mayor of Auckland City was the directly elected head of the Auckland City Council, the municipal government of Auckland City, New Zealand. The office existed from 1871 to 2010, when the Auckland City Council and mayoralty was abolished and ...

serving for three years. He was elected to the

City of Auckland The City of Auckland is a former territorial authority of New Zealand. The term may also refer to: *Auckland City, the territorial authority that absorbed all of the territory belonging to the City of Auckland *City of Auckland (New Zealand elector ...

multi-member electorate in , but was defeated in . He was also defeated in a 1900 by-election after the death of the sitting member William Crowther by

Joseph Witheford Joseph Howard Witheford (1848 – 30 October 1931) was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in Auckland, New Zealand. Biography He was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England, in 1848. Witheford was elected to the City of Auckland ele ...

, despite being endorsed by Seddon. Upon defeat, Holland was subsequently appointed as a Government trustee to the Auckland Savings Bank. He also served as the chairman of the committee of St. John Ambulance Association.

Building career

Holland had a distinguished career as a builder and worked with architects such as Edward Mahoney and

Edward Bartley Edward Bartley (23 February 1839 – 28 May 1919) was a Jersey-born New Zealand architect. Beginning as a builder, Bartley transitioned into a career as an architect, not an uncommon occurrence in the 19th century. He is responsible for design ...

. Some notable buildings he built are the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle, St Benedict's Church, Newton, and the Shakespeare Hotel.

Death

Holland died at his home in Auckland on 31 August 1922, and was buried at Purewa Cemetery.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Holland, James Job 1841 births 1922 deaths New Zealand Liberal Party MPs Unsuccessful candidates in the 1899 New Zealand general election Mayors of Auckland Auckland City Councillors Politicians from Leicester English emigrants to New Zealand Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates New Zealand Freemasons Burials at Purewa Cemetery 19th-century New Zealand politicians Auckland Harbour Board members