Levien was a merchant in both Australia and New Zealand. In 1837 he was in partnership in Sydney and in 1844 at Wellington, New Zealand acting as agent for the brigantine Vanguard.[2][3] In 1854 he was described as a Collins Street, Hobart merchant and in 1855 a resident of Melbourne.[4][5] By 1857 he was a merchant in Nelson.[6] He traded under the name J. Levien & Co.[7][8] Levien was also a shareholder in the Dun Mountain Copper Mining Company.[9] He was involved with the organising of a Gas Company to provide street lighting for Nelson, a Director of the Nelson Gold Mining Company, and a member of the Nelson Chamber of Commerce.[10][11]
Levien's first foray into politics appears to have been in 1860 when he unsuccessfully stood for the Board of Works.[12]
He was actively interested in politics and public affairs, but only became prominent in 1875 when the municipalities affairs were in crises. Levien became Mayor of Nelson on 26 February 1875[1] after the Mayor and several Councillors resigned over a dispute with the Provincial Council and finance. The council's accounts were in a muddle according to its auditors and it had a large overdraft at the bank, and it went bankrupt in early 1875.[13] As a result of Levien's hard work he set the accounts in order, urged economy from the newly elected Councillors and returned the council to credit.[13]
At the end of 1875 Levien was asked by the Councillors to remain as Mayor for 1876, which he agreed to do.[14] Among the Councillors who called for him to stand for re-election were Edward William Everett and William Reid Waters, the two subsequent mayors. As no one else was nominated he was consequently reappointed.[15]
Levien died in office on 7 June 1876 after a long and painful illness aged 65 years. He was buried at Wakapuaka Cemetery the following day.[1][19] He was survived by his wife.[20]
Robert Levien (1834 in London – 1893) decided in 1864 to settle in Nelson where his uncle Joseph Levien had already been for some time. Robert Levien was also a merchant and was first elected a Nelson City Councillor in the late 1870s.[21]
