George Cooper (23 June 1793 – 7 April 1867) was a customs official and government administrator in Ireland, England, Australia and New Zealand. He was the first

Colonial Treasurer Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

and head of

Customs Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...

of New Zealand.

Biography

Cooper was born in

County Kildare County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...

, Ireland, in 1793. He started work in 1816 as a customs agent for Ireland and England. He emigrated to

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, arriving

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

on 12 October 1836 aboard the ''Hoogley'' with his wife and children. Later that month he was officially appointed Comptroller and Landing Surveyor in the Department of Customs for the colony. In NSW, he also became Superintendent of Distilleries. He built, or leased, Waterview House, the first house in Balmain, and bought 50 acres of surrounding land on the Balmain Peninsula. He got into financial difficulties in the 1840 depression and became insolvent. He was appointed Colonial Treasurer and Collector of Customs for New Zealand on 5 January 1840. Later that month he moved to the

Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its ...

in the north of New Zealand, arriving aboard with

William Hobson Captain William Hobson (26 September 1792 – 10 September 1842) was a British Royal Navy officer who served as the first Governor of New Zealand. He was a co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi. Hobson was dispatched from London in July 1 ...

and other officials (including

Willoughby Shortland Commander Willoughby Shortland RN (30 September 1804 – 7 October 1869) was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He was New Zealand's first Colonial Secretary from 1841, after having arrived in New Zealand with Lieutenant Govern ...

and

Felton Mathew Felton Mathew (1801 – 26 November 1847) was New Zealand's first Surveyor General. Central Auckland was laid out by him. Felton Mathew Avenue was named after him, and is a difficult incline amongst the cycling community in Auckland. Early life ...

). His annual salary was £600, the same as it was in Sydney. He was a witness and signatory to the

Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in the treatment of the M ...

. When the General Legislative Council was formed in May 1841, Cooper became a member due to his role as treasurer. In May 1842, he resigned from his position as Colonial Treasurer and returned to Sydney. Cooper was later secretary and treasurer to the

Shire of Ballan The Shire of Ballan was a local government area about west of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1862 until 1994. History Ballan was first incorporated as a road district on 1 ...

west of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

from 1863 till 1867. His health deteriorated for the last two years of his life. He died in

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, on 7 April 1867, at the home of his son-in-law. His son, George Sisson Cooper, had a long career in the New Zealand civil service; from 1870 to 1892, he was Under-Secretary for the colony.

Legacy

Cooper was a beekeeper and was one of the first who tried to establish honeybees in New Zealand. Fellow beekeeper, William Cotton, noted that Cooper arrived in Auckland in October 1842 with a hive of bees "seemingly dead" after a stormy ten-day passage from Sydney. There is a Cooper Street in Balmain on part of the land he once owned.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, George 1793 births 1867 deaths New Zealand public servants People from Auckland Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council (1841–1853) Australian beekeepers Australian public servants 19th-century Australian businesspeople Riddiford family