Leonard Harper (politician)
Leonard Harper | |
---|---|
![]() Harper, ca. 1890s | |
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Cheviot | |
In office 8 January 1876 – 2 April 1878 | |
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Avon | |
In office 22 July 1884 – 3 May 1887 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 2 June 1837 |
Died | 27 October 1915 Jersey, Channel Islands | (aged 78)
Children | Arthur Paul Harper (son) |
Relatives | Henry Harper (father) Emily Acland (sister) |
Leonard Harper (2 June 1837 – 27 October 1915) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in
Early life
Harper was born in 1837, either in
His father, Bishop Harper, arrived in Christchurch at the end of 1856. In 1857, his father heard from Tainui, a Ngāi Tahu leader from Kaiapoi, that some Māori wanted to travel to the West Coast via their traditional route along the Hurunui and Taramakau rivers. Tainui agreed that his son and two other Māori would lead Leonard Harper and Mr. Locke over the pass. While Edward Dobson had been over the pass only weeks before Harper, Dobson was stopped by bad weather. Harper descended to the coast and was thus the first European who had crossed the Southern Alps all the way from east coast to west coast. The pass has since been known as Harper Pass.[5]
Political career
Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1876–1878 | 6th | Cheviot | Independent | ||
1884–1887 | 9th | Avon | Independent |
He represented the Cheviot electorate from 1876 to 1878, when he resigned. He then represented the Avon electorate from 1884 to 1887, when he again resigned.[6] He bought Ilam homestead, once the largest residential building in Christchurch,[7] and was for some years co-owner of Risingholme, which was bought from the estate of William Reeves.[8]
Professional career
In 1857, Harper was employed as clerk to the
Leonard Harper left New Zealand on 25 July 1891.[13] Three days later, he was voted in absentia the inaugural chair of the New Zealand Alpine Club.[14] It only emerged later that his law firm was bankrupt, and that NZ£200,000 had been embezzled.[2]
Family and death
He later lived on Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands,[15] where he died in 1915.[16]
Notes
- ^ a b c Macdonald, George. "Leonard Harper". Macdonald Dictionary. Canterbury Museum. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ a b c Langton, Graham. "Arthur Paul Harper". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- Daily Southern Cross. Vol. XII, no. 837. 6 July 1855. p. 3. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ "Provincial Council". Lyttelton Times. Vol. VII, no. 477. 30 May 1857. p. 6. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ISBN 1-877270-86-5.
- OCLC 154283103.
- ^ "History of the Club". University of Canterbury. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- ^ "Risingholme". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ a b Macdonald, George. "George Harper". Macdonald Dictionary. Canterbury Museum. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ "Public notice". Lyttelton Times. Vol. XXV, no. 1618. 21 February 1866. p. 4. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ "Death". The Press. Vol. XXX, no. 4141. 4 November 1878. p. 2. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Partnership notices". Lyttelton Times. Vol. LI, no. 5686. 17 May 1879. p. 6. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ "Town & country". Lyttelton Times. Vol. LXXVI, no. 9476. 27 July 1891. p. 4. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ^ "Alpine Club". Lyttelton Times. Vol. LXXVI, no. 9478. 29 July 1891. p. 3. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ^ Cyclopedia Company Limited (1903). "Mr. Leonard Harper". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Canterbury Provincial District. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. p. 96. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
- ^ "Death of Mr Leonard Harper". The Press. Vol. LI, no. 15421. 28 October 1915. p. 6. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ^ Scholefield 1940a, pp. 2f.
- ^ Scholefield 1940a, p. 74.
- ^ Scholefield 1940b, p. 379.
References
- Department of Internal Affairs.
- Department of Internal Affairs.