Dargaville Joseph Mcmullen 1871 1883

edmondsallan - hello - This gentleman was an up and go , thats for real . He seemed to have had great vision into the future also . On the leased land from Parore Te Awha- four acres on the adjacent Kaihu River, he set up a trading post and built up a prosperous timber industry that by 1876 was reputed to employ over 400 men. Dargaville commuted frequently from Auckland until late in 1871, when he promoted Edwin Mitchelson, a member of his staff, to local manager.
In 1872 Dargaville purchased from Parore and others the Tunatahi block of 171 acres, and at the junction of the Wairoa and Kaihu rivers founded and developed the town of Dargaville. At his own expense he built a large store and gum shed, and tramways and wharves to service the expanding overseas trade. In time, cottages and two hotels were erected and in 1874 a spacious family home was built on a prime site in the town. He donated land for the Anglican church and for a school and was one of the original promoters of the Kaihu valley railway connecting Kaihu with Dargaville. I think as I said before , this particular Gentleman certainly had vision .That shows when he bought his first piece of land and started up his Tinber & Gum business by the river , in a place now known after his name .Actually from all accounts he is moving along at a good pace also .
In 1876 Joseph Dargaville sold part of his timber interests to the Union Sash and Door Company and Edwin Mitchelson took over his merchant businesses. Dargaville continued to own, almost exclusively, the land and buildings of the township, from which he derived considerable income through leasing. To gain the maximum economic advantage from his estate he established the Dargaville Trust and transferred the management of his property to the trustees.
As a resident of Auckland and a landowner in Dargaville he involved himself in local affairs and politics. Dargaville was a member of the Auckland City Council from 1872 to 1874 and represented Auckland East on the Auckland Provincial Council from 1873 to 1876. In 1873 he unsuccessfully contested the superintendency against John Williamson and H. H. Lusk. He stood again in 1875 but retired in favour of Sir George Grey. While a member of the Provincial Council he published a plea for a united colony when separation of the North and South islands was mooted. He was a member of the Hobson County Council from 1876 to 1890.
In 1881 he was elected to the House of Representatives for City of Auckland West as an independent
Well , I have been to Dargaville many times , stayed their frequently in my working days .The people were always wonderful and great hosts.
At that time it never accurred to me how the name , the town , all got started . Mind you I was just under 40 in age at the time , and all I could think of was work flat out to pay the morgage and feed the family .I certainly missed out on a lot of local history in the country I traveled thro . Till we meet again - Regards - edmondsallan