Arthur Ollivier

Arthur Ollivier in 1895

Arthur Morton Ollivier (23 March 1851 – 21 October 1897) was a successful businessman in Christchurch, New Zealand, a notable cricketer, mountaineer, and chess player.

Early life

Ollivier was born in 1851 in Hammersmith, Middlesex, England.[1] He was the eighth son of John and Elizabeth Ollivier (née Morton).[2][3] The family with 10 children came to New Zealand on the John Taylor; the ship left London on 10 July 1853 and arrived in Lyttelton on 18 October.[4][5] He received his education at Christ's College from 1862 to 1865; he was pupil number 179.[3][6][7]

Sport

Cricket

Ollivier was a right-hand batsman.[8] In February 1867, he became a representative cricketer at age 15, when he played for Canterbury against Otago at Hagley Oval; the first cricket game ever that was played on that ground.[9][10] He was also playing when Canterbury first met Auckland in 1873; the year that the Auckland team was founded.[3]

He played against England in February 1877,[11] and against Australia in January 1878.[12]

Injury forced Ollivier to retire from the game in 1883. He became a trainer, administrator and selector of players.[3] In 1882, Edward Cephas John Stevens and Ollivier initiated the purchase of a parcel of land which became Lancaster Park; this was to overcome the problem of spectators not paying a fee at Hagley Oval.[3][13] In 1893, he selected the New Zealand team for the match against New South Wales.[3]

Mountaineering

Mueller Hut and the summit of Mount Ollivier

Ollivier was known for his mountaineering exploits. Mount Ollivier is named for him.

Other sports

Ollivier was a noted sports person in rugby and athletics, especially sprinting.[6] He was a successful chess player, was a founding member of the Canterbury Chess Club in 1877, and was dominion champion in 1888/89.[14][15]

Professional career

Ollivier was an accountant by profession.[6] His first employment was with D. Macpherson and Co. (which became Matheson's Agency). His next position was with J. T. Ford and Co.[16] He was in partnership with Trevor Grierson before becoming self-employed.[17]

Community involvement

Ollivier was a member of many organisations, and he was often on the committee. He was president of the Old Boys' Association of Christ's College from 1895 until his death.[3][6] He was deeply involved with the administration of cricket.[18]

Family, death and commemoration

Ollivier married Agnes Thomson (born ca 1849), a daughter of the politician William Thomson, on 20 September 1876 at St Mark's Church in Opawa.[16] They had three children:[1][19]

Ollivier was unwell for several months before his death. He went to Castle Hill in the high country for a change of air, but returned even more ill.[20] He died at the early age of 46 on 21 October 1897 at home in the Christchurch suburb of Opawa. He was buried at Woolston Cemetery.[3][21] It was Frederick Wilding's proposal that resulted in the Canterbury Cricket Association erecting the gravestone for Ollivier; the inscription reads "Erected by the Cricketers of New Zealand".[3][22] He was buried on a Saturday (23 October), and out of respect to him, all cricket matches in Canterbury got cancelled on that day.[22]

Mount Ollivier near Aoraki / Mount Cook is named after Arthur Ollivier.[23] In 1939, the 1,933 m (6,342 ft) peak was Edmund Hillary's first major climb.[24] After Hillary's death in 2008, there was a proposal to rename the peak Mount Hillary as a memorial, a suggestion opposed by Arthur Ollivier's family.[23]

References

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  1. 1 2 Frost, Tony. "Arthur Morton Ollivier". Frost Family. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  2. ↑ Frost, Tony. "John Ollivier". Frost Family. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Greenaway, Richard L. N. (June 2007). "Woolston / Heathcote Cemetery Tour" (PDF). Christchurch City Libraries. pp. 21–22. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  4. ↑ "Shipping News". Lyttelton Times. III, Issue 146. 22 October 1853. p. 6. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  5. ↑ Bastin, Kay. "John Taylor". Rootsweb. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Page 3 Advertisements Column 1". Ashburton Guardian. XVIII, Issue 4326. 21 October 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  7. ↑ The School List of Christ's College Grammar School: From 1852 to 1877. Christchurch: Christ's College Grammar School. 1877. p. 23.
  8. ↑ "Arthur Ollivier". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  9. ↑ "Interprovincial Cricket Match". The Press. XI, Issue 1328. 8 February 1867. p. 2. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  10. ↑ "Interprovincial Cricket Match". The Press. XI, Issue 1329. 9 February 1867. p. 2. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  11. ↑ "Canterbury v James Lillywhite's XI". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  12. ↑ "Canterbury v Australians". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  13. ↑ Miller, Graham M. "Stevens, Edward Cephas John". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  14. ↑ Newick, Conrad Brice (23 April 2009) [1966]. "Championship Roll". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  15. ↑ Cyclopedia Company Limited (1903). "Sports, Games, And Pastimes". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Canterbury Provincial District. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. p. 216. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  16. 1 2 "Obituary". The Press. LIV, Issue 9868. 21 October 1897. p. 6. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  17. ↑ Cyclopedia Company Limited (1903). "Duncan, Ronald O.". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Canterbury Provincial District. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. p. 278. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  18. ↑ Ryan, Greg (2012). The Making of New Zealand Cricket: 1832–1914. Routledge. ISBN 9781135754822.
  19. ↑ "Florence Agnes May THOMSON". Iconz. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  20. ↑ "Obituary". The Star (6007). 21 October 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  21. ↑ "Death". The Press. LIV, Issue 9868. 21 October 1897. p. 1. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  22. 1 2 "Canterbury Cricket Association". The Press LIV (9865). 23 October 1897. p. 10. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  23. 1 2 Booker, Jarrod (18 January 2008). "Renaming peak for Sir Ed meets resistance". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  24. ↑ "The early years - Ed Hillary". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
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