Samuel Brown (mayor)

Samuel Brown (1845–1909) was the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1887 to 1888.

Brown was born in Ireland in 1845. He came to New Zealand in 1862, first settling in Invercargill having walked there from Dunedin. He erected Hallenstien and Co's first business in New Zealand. Brown then moved to Wellington in 1864 where he was a merchant and contractor, responsible for the Wellington steam tramways and the tunnels and central section of the Wellington and Manawatu Line. He was also involved in the construction of the Midland and Westland Railways. He built the first portion of the Wellington Gas Works, the Maginnity Street drill shed, and the first lighthouse at Cape Farewell. He was the Managing Director of S Brown and Sons Limited, wood and coal merchants. This was a firm he founded on his arrival in Wellington.^[1] He was amember of the Wellington Bowling Club and a Freemason.^[2] At one point in time he had a wood and flax business based in Foxton and owned a small steamer the Piaka as part of that business.^[3]

He was a Wellington City Councillor from 1879 to 1885, and Mayor from 1887 to 1888. Brown served on the Wellington Harbour Board and the Wellington College Board of Governors. He was the first President of the Wellington Industrial Association, which promoted the Wellington Industrial Exhibition of 1896. He was also first President of the New Zealand Industrial Association. Brown was also the employers representative on the Arbitration Court for a time. The Wellington Technical School received financial support from the Industrial Association as a result of his efforts and support.

Brown had four sons and his only daughter was married to the City Solicitor, John O'Shea. Brown died at his Hanson Street, Wellington residence on 14 August 1909 after a brief period of illness. He was buried at the Sydney Street Cemetery in Wellington.

References

No Mean City by Stuart Perry (1969, Wellington City Council) includes a paragraph and a portrait or photo for each mayor.

1. Obituary, Star, Issue 9621, 14 August 1909, Page 4
2. The late Mr Samuel Brown, Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 587, 16 August 1909, Page 7
3. Obituary, Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 39, 14 August 1909, Page 5