Benjamin Harris (1836 – 12 February 1928) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in New Zealand. In 1893 he appears to have been a Liberal Party supporter.[1]
Harris was born at Lisburn, Ireland, in 1836.[2] The family migrated to England, Canada, and Australia, before settling in New Zealand in East Tāmaki in 1847.[2][3] Early in his life, he had a farm in Pukekohe.[2] With the outbreak of the New Zealand Wars, he joined the Otahuhu Cavalry Volunteers in 1861, and, as The PressinChristchurch as a contemporary source records, "for a few years subsequently galloped about slaying Maoris [sic] in the interests of settlement, civilisation, and Christianity."[4] He returned to his farm in 1866 and married the following year.[2] The locality of Harrisville was named after him as he was the major landowner.[5]
He represented the Ramarama electorate on the Auckland Provincial Council from October 1874 until the abolition of provincial councils two years later.[6]
He represented South Auckland electorates; Franklin from 1879 to 1881; and then the replacement electorate of Franklin North from 1881. His 1881 election was declared void in 1882, but he won the subsequent 1882 by-election. In 1884 he was defeated.[1] He contested the 1890 election in the reconstituted Franklin electorate, but was defeated by Ebenezer Hamlin.[7]
Harris then represented the Franklin electorate from 1893 to 1896, when he was again defeated, by future Prime Minister William Massey.[8]
From 1895 until 1896 he was the Liberal Party's junior whip.[9]
On 3 February 1897, he was appointed to the Legislative Council. At the end of the seven-year terms, he was reappointed in 1904, 1911 and 1918. He resigned on 20 June 1923.[10]
Late in his life, he lived in Clyde Street in Epsom.[11] He died at his home, Taumaihi, on 12 February 1928 and was buried at Pukekohe Cemetery. He was survived by his wife Jane, three daughters and one son.[2]
