Benjamin Conrad "Cockie" Robbins (1857 – 20 January 1953) was a member of the

New Zealand Legislative Council The New Zealand Legislative Council was the upper house of the General Assembly of New Zealand between 1853 and 1951. An earlier arrangement of legislative councils for the colony and provinces existed from 1841 when New Zealand became a co ...

from 9 March 1936 to 8 March 1943; and 9 March 1943 to 8 March 1950. Robbins was born in

Yarmouth, Nova Scotia Yarmouth is a town in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. A port town, industries include fishing, and tourism. It is the terminus of a ferry service to Bar Harbor, Maine, run by Bay Ferries. History Originally inhabited by the Mi'kmaq, the regi ...

, son of Capt. B. Robbins, and educated at the Yarmouth Academy. He arrived in Wellington in 1874, and was a storekeeper in Hawera from 1881. In Hawera he organised a local dairy factory and the National Dairy Association. He was on various local boards; Fire Board (3 years), Hospital Board (chairman 1906-09), and the Wanganui Education Board 1897–1906.Who's Who in New Zealand, 5th edn p200 (1951) His first public service was as a member of the school committee in Hawera for a good decade, where he was chairman for most of that time. He was a member of the Hawera Borough Council for fifteen years and Mayor of Hawera for seven years. Robbins stood in the in the electorate and came second of three candidates. He contested the electorate in the and s. He came a close second in 1896, and came third in 1905. Robbins moved to

Tauranga Tauranga () is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty region and the fifth most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of , or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century, colonised by ...

in 1911, and was

Mayor of Tauranga The Mayor of Tauranga is the head of the municipal government of Tauranga, New Zealand, and presides over the Tauranga City Council. There is currently no Mayor of Tauranga. On 9 February 2021, a Crown Commission appointed by the Minister of L ...

twice, from 1912 to 1915 and 1929 to 1933. He retired from the mayoralty in 1915 and did not contest the election, which was won by

Charles MacMillan Charles Edward de la Barca MacMillan (December 1872 – 9 January 1941) was a New Zealand politician. He was Mayor of Tauranga (1915–1917) and a member of the House of Representatives (1923–1935). Early life MacMillan was born in Saint Croi ...

over

John Cuthbert Adams John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

. Robbins stood against the incumbent,

William Herries Sir William Herbert Herries (19 April 1859 – 22 February 1923) was an English-born New Zealand politician. Biography Herries was born in London, the son of Herbert Crompton Herries, a barrister, and his wife, Leonora Emma Wickham. His gr ...

of the Reform Party, in the in the electorate and was beaten with a margin of over 30% of the vote. He initially declared himself an Independent Progressive Liberal but received the endorsement of

Joseph Ward Sir Joseph George Ward, 1st Baronet, (26 April 1856 – 8 July 1930) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 17th prime minister of New Zealand from 1906 to 1912 and from 1928 to 1930. He was a dominant figure in the Liberal and Unit ...

and was the official candidate of the

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. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

. He was appointed to the Legislative Council by the First Labour Government. He died in January 1953 aged 96 and is buried at the Presbyterian Cemetery on 18th Avenue in Tauranga. He married in 1877 Jane Anne Ross (died 6 March 1950).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robbins, Ben 1857 births 1953 deaths 19th-century New Zealand politicians Canadian emigrants to New Zealand Mayors of Tauranga Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council New Zealand Labour Party MLCs People from Hāwera Politicians from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia Unsuccessful candidates in the 1893 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1896 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1905 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1919 New Zealand general election Colony of New Zealand people