James Walker Bain

James Walker Bain (1841 – 29 September 1899) was a 19th-century New Zealand politician. He was a significant businessman in Invercargill and Southland.

James Walker Bain

Bain was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1841.[1][2] His parents were the spirit merchant John Bain and his wife, Elizabeth Middlemass.[3] He received his education at the Free Church Normal School and then at a private academy. He started with the printing company Oliver and Boyd and learned the trade of a compositor.[1][4]

He arrived in Port Chalmers in New Zealand, Otago's harbour, on 23 September 1858 on the Jura from Glasgow.[5] His parents, five sisters and one brother arrived in Otago on the Gloucester three months later; one of his sisters was Wilhelmina Sherriff Bain.[3] He initially worked for the Otago Witness[1] before going to Auckland for two years.[4] He moved to Invercargill at the beginning of 1861.[1] Together with George Smallfield, he founded Invercargill's first newspaper, the Southland News and Foveaux Straits Herald, and its first edition was published on 14 February 1861.[1] The paper later became the Southland Daily News and existed until 1967, when it was bought by the rival The Southland Times.[6] Bain founded the Mataura Paper Mill in 1875.[6] He was a significant businessman in Invercargill, was president of the Southland Building Society for the first 30 years of its existence. He was a member of the Southland Education Board for many years, and was at times its chairman.[1]

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1879–1881 7th Invercargill Independent

He represented the Invercargill electorate in Parliament from 1879 to 1881, when he retired.[2] He was Mayor of Invercargill in 1891–1892.[6]

Bain died unexpectedly on the morning of 29 September 1899 after falling ill on 26 September. He was survived by his wife, three sons, and four daughters.[1] He was buried at St. John's Cemetery in Invercargill.[6]

References
  1. "Obituary". Otago Witness (2379). 5 October 1899. p. 45. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  2. Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
  3. Hutching, Megan. "Wilhelmina Sherriff Bain". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  4. Cyclopedia Company Limited (1905). "Former Members Of The House Of Representatives". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Otago & Southland Provincial Districts. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. p. 794. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  5. "Shipping News". Otago Witness (356). 25 September 1858. p. 5. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  6. "Information on past Mayors of Invercargill City and the location of their headstones in the Invercargill Cemeteries" (PDF). Invercargill City Council. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
Political offices
Preceded by
William Horatio Hall		 Mayor of Invercargill
1891–1892		 Succeeded by
Duncan McFarlane
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
Henry Feldwick		 Member of Parliament for Invercargill
1879–1881		 Succeeded by
Henry Feldwick
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