Peter Dignan (24 April 1847 – 15 June 1922) was the fifteenth

Mayor of Auckland The mayor of Auckland is the elected head of local government in the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island; one of 67 Mayors in New Zealand, mayors in the country. The principle city of the region (and its namesake) is Auckland. The may ...

who held the office in 1897 and 1898. He was the first New Zealand-born and probably the first Catholic occupant of the position.

Early life

Dignan was born in Auckland. He was the eldest son of Patrick Dignan M.L.C. and was educated at St Peter's School by the noted teacher

Richard O'Sullivan Richard O'Sullivan (born 7 May 1944) is an English comedy actor. He is known for his role as Robin Tripp in the TV sitcoms ''Man About the House'' (1973–1976) and '' Robin's Nest'' (1977–1981) and as the title character in the period adven ...

. Patrick Dignan was one of the Board of Governors of St Peter's School.

Career

Dignan was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in 1868. He went into partnership with later politician John Sheehan to form the legal firm of Sheehan and DignanHugh Laracy. 'Dignan, Patrick – Biography', from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 1-Sep-10
/ref> which later, when Sheehan left the partnership, became Dignan and Armstrong.

Religious and social concern

Dignan was involved in Sunday school and other activities connected with

St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland The Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Joseph (usually known as St Patrick's Cathedral) is a heritage-listed Catholic cathedral church in Auckland CBD, situated on the corner of Federal Street and Wyndham St. It is the mother church of the R ...

and other Catholic initiatives. He was a member of the Catholic Young Men's Literary and Debating Society which was the nursery of several political careers including those of John Sheehan and another young lawyer,

Joseph Tole Joseph Augustus Tole (1846 – 13 December 1920) was a 19th-century New Zealand lawyer, politician, and Minister of Justice from 1884 to 1887. Tole was born in 1846 in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England. He came to Auckland with his parents, John ...

. Dignan was an officer in the volunteer armed forces and for 22 years he was a trustee and sometime President of the Auckland Working Men's Club. He also gave his services to many other community endeavours, including 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 the

Auckland University College The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loca ...

Local government

Dignan was a member of the

Auckland City Council Auckland City Council was the local government authority for Auckland City, New Zealand, from 1989 to 1 November 2010, when it and Auckland's six other city and district councils were amalgamated to form the Auckland Council. It was an elec ...

for 12 years. In 1897, in his first term as Mayor, the statue of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

was erected in Albert Park to mark her 60 years as Queen. In 1898, during his second term as Mayor, the Auckland Exhibition was held. As Mayor, Dignan attempted to increase the rating revenue of the Auckland City Council by promoting a Bill which would have restored to the Council the rating powers possessed by all other boroughs. In anticipation of the measure being passed, it was decided to ascertain the opinion of the ratepayers. The ratepayers were not persuaded and at the poll they disapproved the suggested increase (9d in the £) by 1,594 votes to 1,052. The Bill was withdrawn. Dignan's successor, David Goldie, instead, had to institute rigorous economies in council administration with aged and ageing officials being pensioned off.G.W.A. Bush, ''Decently and In Order: The Government of the City of Auckland 1840–1971'', Collins, 1971, p. 208. Dignan died on 15 June 1922.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dignan, Peter 1847 births 1922 deaths People educated at St Peter's College, Auckland New Zealand people of Irish descent 19th-century New Zealand lawyers Mayors of Auckland New Zealand Roman Catholics Auckland City Councillors Auckland Harbour Board members