Joseph McMullen Dargaville (1837 – 27 October 1896) was a 19th-century

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 ...

from

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

, New Zealand.

Early life

Joseph McMullen Dargaville was born in Cork, Ireland, the son of Anderson Dargaville, a physician, and his wife, Eliza McMullen. He was descended from Huguenots, who had fled to Ireland to escape persecution. He was baptised on 27 June 1837 and presumed to have been born earlier that same year. He attended Fermoy College.

Business career

Dargaville emigrated with his brothers to Victoria. In early 1859 he relocated again, this time to

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 ...

, where he obtained a clerking job with the

Union Bank of Australia The Union Bank of Australia was an Australian bank in operation from 1837 to 1951. It was established in London in October 1837 with a subscribed capital of £500,000. The foundation of the bank had followed a visit to England by Van Diemen's Land ...

at a salary of £100 per annum. From 1860 to 1866 he worked in several branches of the bank in New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria.

Marriage

On 20 April 1865 at

Portland, Victoria Portland is a city in Victoria, Australia, and is the oldest European settlement in the state. It is also the main urban centre in the Shire of Glenelg and is located on Portland Bay. As of the 2021 census the population was 10,016, increasing ...

, he wed Anne Must, daughter of Thomas and Anne Must; the couple had at least six children. His wife was born on 1 May 1845 in Sydney, they had two sons and five daughters.

Political career

Dargaville would represent Auckland East on the

Auckland Provincial Council The Auckland Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. Area The province covered roughly half of the North Island of New Zealand. It was the largest of the six initial provinces, both ...

from 1873 to 1876. He stood unsuccessfully for the in the , then represented the electorate from 1881 to 1887. In the , he stood in the Marsden electorate and was defeated by

Robert Thompson Robert or Bob Thompson may refer to: Entertainment * Bobby Thompson (comedian) (1911–1988), English comedian * Bob Thompson (musician) (1924–2013), American orchestra leader, arranger, composer * Robert E. Thompson (screenwriter) (1924–2004 ...

(955 to 550 votes). In the election, he stood in the electorate against three others ( Robert Houston, James Trounsen, and John Lundon) and came last. He contested the Bay of Islands electorate again in the against two others (Houston and Trownson) and again came last. He founded the Northland town of

Dargaville Dargaville ( mi, Takiwira) is a town located in the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the bank of the Northern Wairoa River in the Kaipara District of the Northland region. The town is located 55 kilometres southwest of Whangārei. ...

, named for him. He was a prominent businessman and timber merchant there. He was a member of the Orange Order.

Death

Dargaville was on a return visit from

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

when he died aboard the ''Mariposa'' on 27 October 1896, and was buried at sea.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dargaville, Joseph 1837 births 1896 deaths Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Members of the Auckland Provincial Council Irish emigrants to New Zealand (before 1923) Politicians from County Cork New Zealand bankers New Zealand businesspeople Dargaville Date of birth unknown Unsuccessful candidates in the 1887 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1890 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1893 New Zealand general election New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates Irish emigrants to colonial Australia 19th-century New Zealand politicians Auckland City Councillors