12 Facts About James Colvin

James Colvin was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for Buller, in the South Island.

James Colvin emigrated to Victoria, Australia in 1861 and went gold mining in Creswick and Daylesford.

James Colvin came to New Zealand in 1862 and joined the Otago gold rush in Dunstan and Wakatipu, from where he went to the gold fields in the Wakamarina Valley in Marlborough; he set up a store in the latter place.

When he was a young man, James Colvin was held up by a member of the Burgess-Sullivan gang near where George Dobson had been murdered a few days previously.

Unknown to his interrogator James Colvin was carrying 2,000 pounds worth of gold on his saddle, and managed to pass unmolested.

James Colvin served on numerous boards and committees: the Buller County Council, Westport Harbour Board, and was mayor of Westport between 1898 and 1900.

James Colvin stood in the Buller electorate in the 1896 election but was defeated by Patrick O'Regan.

James Colvin defeated O'Regan in 1899 as a supporter of Richard Seddon, and represented the Buller electorate in the House of Representatives for twenty years until his death in 1919.

At the 1899 election, James Colvin stood as an Independent Liberal rather than an official Liberal candidate.

James Colvin served as the Chairman of Committees from 1910 to 1911.

James Colvin was Minister of Mines in 1912 in the Mackenzie cabinet.

James Colvin was killed at 10 pm on 29 October 1919 by a tram as he left Parliament House.