Henry George Ell (probably 24 September 1862 – 27 June 1934), commonly known as Harry Ell, was a Christchurch City councillor and a New Zealand

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

. He is famous for his conservation work around

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

Port Hills The Port Hills are a range of hills in Canterbury Region, so named because they lie between the city of Christchurch and its port at Lyttelton. They are an eroded remnant of the Lyttelton volcano, which erupted millions of years ago. The hi ...

, his advocacy for the Summit Road, and his construction of the

Sign of the Takahe The Sign of the Takahe is a neo-Gothic style historic building in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is currently leased from Christchurch City Council and run as a cafe, bar, and function centre. History Construction began on the building in 19 ...

and other road houses along the Summit Road.

Early years

Ell was born in

, New Zealand, and grew up on his father's farm in Halswell. As a teenager he worked at the Canterbury Museum, then as a farm hand. Between 1881 and 1884 he was a member of the Armed Constabulary in

Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...

, where he participated in the destruction of

Parihaka Parihaka is a community in the Taranaki region of New Zealand, located between Mount Taranaki and the Tasman Sea. In the 1870s and 1880s the settlement, then reputed to be the largest Māori village in New Zealand, became the centre of a major camp ...

. This experience turned him into a stern critic of the race-relations policies of the time. Ell was a Christchurch City councillor in 1903 and then again between 1917 and 1919. He was a member of the

Knights of Labour Knights of Labor (K of L), officially Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor, was an American labor federation active in the late 19th century, especially the 1880s. It operated in the United States as well in Canada, and had chapters also ...

and the Canterbury Liberal Association.

Member of Parliament

Ell stood as a prohibitionist for a seat in the City of Christchurch electorate in 1896. He was unsuccessful, coming fifth in the three-member electorate, but was elected as an

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

in the 1899 general election. He held the seat, and the subsequent seat of Christchurch South as an

, until the 1919 general election. Ell stood for the Lyttelton electorate, which contained the Port Hills. He was defeated and did not win a seat in Parliament again. Ell was associated with the New Liberal Party in 1905. From 1910 until 1912 he was the Liberal Party's junior

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

. As a Member of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

, Ell spoke against the relaxation of liquor laws, the jailing of alcoholics and against gambling. He also successfully pushed for reform of New Zealand's mental health laws. He served briefly as Postmaster General in the

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

Thomas Mackenzie Sir Thomas Mackenzie (10 March 1853 – 14 February 1930) was a Scotland, Scottish-born New Zealand politician and explorer who briefly served as the List of Prime Ministers of New Zealand, 18th prime minister of New Zealand in 1912, and ...

The Summit Road rest houses

Ell is most remembered for his strong interest in recreation and conservation. From 1900 onwards, Ell pushed for the creation of a network of scenic reserves along Christchurch's Port Hills, linked by the Summit Road and with a network of rest-houses to allow travellers and walkers to refresh themselves. Three of these rest-houses, designed by architect

Samuel Hurst Seager Samuel Hurst Seager (26 June 1855 – 5 October 1933) was a notable New Zealand builder, draftsman, architect and town planner. He was born in London, England, in 1855, and as a boy emigrated to Christchurch, New Zealand, with his parents i ...

, were completed during Ell's lifetime: the Sign of the Bellbird,

Sign of the Kiwi The Sign of the Kiwi, originally called Toll House, is a small café and shop at Dyers Pass on the road between Christchurch and Governors Bay. It was built in 1916–17 by Harry Ell as a staging post and opened as a tearoom and rest house. It has ...

, and Sign of the Packhorse. The last, and grandest, the

, was not completed until long after Ell's death, in 1949. All four houses were built of local stone, and designed to blend in with the landscape. The Sign of the Kiwi and Sign of the Takahe still function as commercial rest stops serving refreshments while the Sign of the Bellbird survives only as a shelter, but is still a useful stopping place for a picnic and the starting point for some short walks. The Sign of the Packhorse is managed by the Department of Conservation and used as a hut by trampers.

Quotes

*Ell's political philosophy was simple: ''"Our aim in life is to effect such social and economic reforms as will improve the lot of our fellow men and women"''. *As a parliamentarian, Ell was proud of his

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

status. During his 1899 election campaign he maintained the view that: ''"a member should pledge himself to the people, not to party or to Prime Minister."''.

Notes

References

* * * * Harry Ell and His Summit Road : a Biography of Henry George Ell by Lenore Oakley, published by Caxton Press 1960

Early years

Member of Parliament

The Summit Road rest houses

Quotes

Notes

References

Further reading

Works by Harry Ell

Works about Harry Ell

External links