Major James O’Sullivan: A Life Devoted to Service and Change

Leave a comment Robert McKie

When the bugle gives its blast,

And the bullets hail hard and fast;

When the country wants its man,

Count on the O’Sullivan,

Looks a sojer every inch

To lead a charge would not flinch.[1]
New Zealand Truth, 15 April 1911

James O’Sullivan (1855 – 1925) was a dedicated civil servant whose life story embodies the resilience and adaptability of a man who rose from humble beginnings in Ireland to become a key figure in New Zealand’s Military Logistics history. He witnessed history and was a driving force behind significant changes in the country’s military logistic infrastructure. This biography examines the life of James O’Sullivan, highlighting his contributions to the Defence Stores Department and his role in providing logistic support to New Zealand’s military forces during crucial periods of conflict.

Born in Ireland in 1855, James O’Sullivan’s early life was marked by modesty and determination. His journey began when he was an agricultural student in Ireland in 1876. However, the allure of New Zealand, often described as the fortunate Isles with their golden apples, captured his imagination. He abandoned his agriculture studies and set out for New Zealand.

He spent a year on the Wild West Coast searching for gold but eventually realised that the best gold mines were not in the ground but in the government buildings in Wellington. So, he crossed Cook Strait and secured a position in the Native Office under Thomas Lewis, Under-Secretary, and the Hon. Johnny Sheehan, the Native Minister.

Office work proved challenging for someone accustomed to outdoor life, prompting O’Sullivan to apply for a transfer to the Armed Constabulary (AC). Under the guidance of Sergeant Major Coleman (later Major), he quickly adapted and became a sharp trooper, training at the Mount Cook depot alongside many future New Zealand Military and Police luminaries.

Assigned to Opotiki in 1878, O’Sullivan’s posting was short as disputes with Māori in the Taranaki in 1879 led to the Opitiki garrison’s recall to Wellington for further training. Following a short training period, O’Sullivan and 100 AC men redeployed to New Plymouth on the Government Schooner rigged steamship SS Stella.

Trooper O’Sullivan enjoyed a fulfilling four-year stint in Taranaki, which reached its pinnacle with the successful capture of Te Whiti and Tohu during the morally questionable Parihaka campaign of 1881. While some of O’Sullivan’s fellow AC troopers, including the renowned Colonel Malone of Gallipoli fame, decided to take their discharge from the AC and settle in the Taranaki, O’Sullivan remained committed to his service in the AC, proceeding to Taupo, where new challenges awaited.

The journey to Taupo involved a five-day march after a redeployment by sea to Napier. Reflecting on this experience in 1916/17, O’Sullivan could not help but smile when comparing it to the march undertaken by the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces (NZEF) over the Rimutakas from Featherston to Trentham. He especially noted the stark contrast in the burdens carried by himself and his fellow AC men as they trudged from Napier to Taupo. In those days, there was no Army Service Corps to provide support. Each man had to shoulder the responsibility of carrying his Snider rifle and 100 rounds of ball cartridge, along with two blankets, a waterproof sheet, greatcoat, haversack, and a day’s ration consisting of four biscuits, a chunk of cold boiled mutton, and some tea and sugar. [2]

During the 1880s, New Zealand grappled with concerns about a potential Russian threat. During this era, O’Sullivan collaborated with fellow AC members to construct fortifications and install artillery in Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton and Port Chalmers. This effort laid the essential groundwork for New Zealand’s coastal defence system. In 1885, Captain Sam Anderson, who led the Defence Stores, selected O’Sullivan to replace a retiring member of the clerical staff of the Defence Stores. Despite the expectations typically associated with a clerical role, O’Sullivan immediately immersed himself in hands-on store administration. In 1886, O’Sullivan took on the role of Quartermaster for the South Island Volunteer Camp in Oamaru. With this assignment, O’Sullivan began to build his military network, initially encountering Captain Alfred Robin, who would eventually rise to Major-General and Chief of the General Staff, and Heaton Rhodes, who would later serve as a Minister of Defence.[3]

During the subsequent decade, O’Sullivan honed his skills, and following Anderson’s passing in 1899, he stepped into the position of Acting Defence Storekeeper, a role that received official confirmation in November 1900.[4]

In 1889, O’Sullivan married Jessie Hunter Mouat in Wellington. Their union began a family that would grow over the years. In October of the same year, they welcomed their first daughter, Helena Grace. Subsequently, in April 1891, their second daughter, Moya Kathleen, was born. The family continued to expand with the birth of Jessie Madeline in October 1892, followed by the arrival of a son, William Eric, in October 1894. In October 1896, another son, Leo Desmond, joined the family. Finally, on 16 October 1899, the family celebrated the birth of their son James.

During O’Sullivan’s time as Defence Storekeeper, he managed the challenges posed by significant global and domestic conflicts, including the South African War, the 1913 waterfront strikes, and the First World War. O’Sullivan was pivotal in equipping contingents for these conflicts, supporting rifle club meetings and overseeing volunteer and Territorial Force camps. Furthermore, he led the modernisation and transformation of the Defence Stores, introducing new weapons and equipment into a resurgent and growing military force.

O’Sullivan’s dedication and exceptional performance caught the attention of Prime Minister Richard Seddon. In January 1907, he was appointed Director of Ordnance Stores and commissioned into the New Zealand militia as a Quartermaster with the rank of Honorary Captain.[5]

In December 1910, Major General Alexander Godley arrived in New Zealand to assume the position of Commandant of the New Zealand Military Forces with the support of a group of seconded British officers with the mandate to revitalise New Zealand’s military’s organisational and functional framework. As part of this effort, Lieutenant Colonel Knox from the British Army Service Corps (ASC) was seconded to be the Director of Supply and Transport in New Zealand to oversee the establishment of the New Zealand Army Service Corps (NZASC).[6] However, the Director of Equipment and Stores position, held by O’Sullivan, remained without a seconded British officer.

In January 1911, Colonel J.L Wheeler, Army Ordnance Department (retired), offered his services as the Director of Equipment and Stores. After thirty-four years as an Ordnance Officer in the British Army, he had recently retired in New Zealand. Having served in various ordnance roles, including an operational post as the Chief Ordnance Officer in China during the Boxer Rebellion, participating in the relief of the British legation at Peking, Wheeler was highly experienced “in the provision, control, issue and inspection of arms, ammunition, equipment and ordnance stores of every description”.[7]

On receiving Wheeler’s application, Godley was highly positive and applied to the Minister of Defence that Wheeler be appointed as the Director of Equipment and Stores, stating that

The work and responsibilities of the Department of Equipment and Ordnance Stores will be enormously increased under the new scheme. Not only will it be our chief spending Department, but it will also, from the nature of its business, be the department which will be subject to the most searching criticism on the part of those who will make it their business to call public attention to the economy or otherwise of our administration.[8]

Godley viewed O’Sullivan’s service as Director of Equipment and Stores thus far as commendable but harboured reservations about his suitability. Despite O’Sullivan’s experience, Godley believed he lacked the necessary military background to meet the demands of the military expansion. Additionally, Godley believed that a fresh start with an experienced officer devoid of local connections would benefit the Stores Department. In his recommendation for Wheeler’s appointment, Godley emphasised to the minister that this change would not necessitate additional funding, as only nine of the ten Imperial officers originally approved had been secured, and Wheeler’s appointment would serve as a substitute for the tenth officer.[9] Despite Godley’s endorsement of Wheeler as the Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores, the appointment did not receive approval due to the absence of budget allocation. If approved, it could have reshaped the Defense Stores Department and its response to the events 1914.

Nevertheless, in September 1911, O’Sullivan was granted the rank of Honourary Major, a decision based on the recommendation of Major General Alexander Godley, despite his earlier initial reservations.[10]

CAPTAIN O’SULLIVAN (Storekeeper Defence Department, Wellington).,NZ Truth, Issue 304, 22 April 1911

On 22 October 1911, tragedy struck O’Sullivan when a devastating drowning accident occurred at Foxton Heads, resulting in the loss of eight lives, including his daughter Grace. While all the bodies, except those of Grace and two children, were promptly recovered, extensive search efforts by O’Sullivan and volunteers eventually resulted in the discovery of Grace’s body on Otaki Beach on 27 October.

As the military transformed from a Volunteer Force to a Citizen Army, it was identified that the current Regimental Quartermaster Sergeants lacked a range of skills related to equipment care, maintenance and accounting responsibility.[11] A course of action to create a professional Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant cadre was undertaken with thirty men selected from the various military districts to undertake three weeks of intensive training at the Defence Stores Department in Wellington.[12] With instruction conducted under a curriculum developed and supervised by O’Sullivan, experienced Defence Stores Department staff conducted practical and theoretical training, providing the New Zealand military with its first logistic-centric military training course.

“Staff of the Quarter-master General—men who passed as Quarter-master instructors and are being drafted to the various districts, Colourised by Rairty Colour

The 1913 waterfront dispute saw wharf workers take over the main ports and hinder trade. Prime Minister William Massey called for farmers and rural labourers to enlist as special constables to assist the small police force in regaining control of the wharves. In what was a covert military operation, most of the mounted and foot special constables in the capital were territorial soldiers drawn from the Wellington Mounted Rifle Brigade and the 5th (Wellington) Regiment. Colonel Andrew Russell commanded the mounted special constables with the foot special constables, known as the foot special police, under Major Rawdon St John Beere of the 5th (Wellington) Regiment.[13]

Organising accommodations and arranging the commissariat provisions for a thousand men and their horses for an indeterminate period is a significant challenge that requires careful planning, swift action, and a resourceful staff capable of anticipating every need. This responsibility fell upon the Defence Stores, led by O’Sullivan. Under his direction, every inch of space in the Defence Reserve on both sides of Buckle Street was utilised, with the garrison hall transformed into a sprawling boarding facility.[14]

In addition to supplying pistols, ammunition, and batons to the special constables, O’Sullivan also arranged for various small conveniences that the men greatly appreciated. Establishing a camp post office and telephone bureau was his initiative, and he also ensured the provision of daily weather reports so that many farmers among the special constables could stay informed about the weather in their respective districts. O’Sullivan and the staff of the Stores Department worked tirelessly, often getting only two or three hours of sleep out of every twenty-four, frequently labouring from 4 a.m. until midnight nearly every day.

The mobilisation of 1914 was the acid test of the reorganisations and re-equipment of New Zealand’s military forces that Sullivan had logistically facilitated since the South African war. New Zealand’s military was required to mobilise and dispatch an expeditionary force and provide the organisational structures to maintain a sustained reinforcement programme, coastal defence and Keypoint Security trooops. Supporting this tremendous effort was O’Sullivan and his Defence Stores.

As the NZEF finalised its preparations before the departure of the NZEF Main body transport ships, General Godley visited the Defence Stores on 24 September and thanked O’Sullivan and the Defence Stores Staff for their contribution to mounting the NZEF. The Dominion reported that,

In saying “au revoir” General Godley paid tribute to the work of the store staff under Major O’Sullivan in equipping the Expeditionary Forces. The complimentary remarks of General Godley were greatly appreciated by the store staff, whose work has been extremely arduous. But there is much recompense in appreciation when none is looked for in this time of stress.[15]

From the early days of the mobilisation, gossip circulated, questioning O’Sullivan’s integrity and the Defence Stores business practices. Some business community members expressed dissatisfaction with the past and present methods of the Defence Stores. Aware of such gossip as early as October 1914, Godley departed on 16 October and had been at sea for ten days before preparing a handwritten note to Colonel James Allen, the New Zealand Minister of Defence. Reacting to what could only be described as gossip, Godley’s note set in motion a series of events that questioned the integrity and performance of the Defence Stores and led to O’Sullivan’s removal as Director of Stores. Godley wrote that he had “heard a good deal of talk about the conduct of the Stores at Wellington and criticism of J O’Sullivan”, adding that the Coast Defence Commander had spoken to him about irregularities with the Defence Stores. Opening up to Allen, Godley aired his view that he had little doubt “that O’Sullivan and probably some of his subordinates are, like all Quartermasters and Storekeepers feathering their nests to a certain extent”. However, Godley balanced this statement by stating, “the equipping of this Force and the South African contingents, by O’Sullivan, was extremely well done”. Godley recommended that it was the right time for an entity such as the Public Service Commissioner to audit the Defence Stores as the store’s accounting system had grown to the stage where he was sure more checks were required. Godley concluded his note to Allen with a caveat that whatever the end state of the Audit, “the good work done by O’Sullivan and his Department should not be overlooked.”[16]

It was not until July 1915 that pressure from outside of the military forced Allen, under the Commission of Inquiry Act 1908, to have a Commission of Inquiry (COI) appointed by the governor-general to investigate the business methods adopted by the Defence Stores, in particular procedures related to the purchase of stores. Probing the Defence Store from July through to August, the Commission questioned over forty witnesses, including General Robin, O’Sullivan, key appointment holders in the Defence Stores and representatives of many businesses with relationships with the Defence Stores.

In discussing the Director of Stores position, the Commission correctly stated that this position was not clearly defined as the appointment had dual responsibility to both the Public Service Commission and the Minister of Defence. Robin clarified O’Sullivan’s situation in that,

Except for the interference by the Public Service Commissioner, he is filling the position under the designation of QMG3. This is the pith of the whole question. This dual control cannot tend to efficiency. If the control of the Public Service Commissioner is to continue all officials under the Public Service Commissioner should only be so as regards pay and advancement; in all other matters, they must be under the Commandant under regulations, Major 0’Sullivan is under military law as an Officer.[17]

Based on Robin’s replies and remarks, it is evident that the Defence Stores Commission investigation was not impartial and poorly conducted with a lack of depth, leading to the assumption that the commission members approached the investigation with preconceived ideas about O’Sullivan and the Defence Stores. Despite the points highlighted by the report that Robin easily rebutted, it is apparent that the Defence Stores had the military’s confidence. Robin reported to Allen in December on the Defence Stores Enquiry that,

It must be satisfactory to you to note that there is no real ground for the alarmist reports which last year, and during the early part of this year, were so freely circulated. [18]

Following Robin’s correspondence, Allen updated Godley with the news that the “Stores Department, about which there was an inquiry, has come fairly well out of it”.[19] It must be remembered that Godley’s private conversations and reaction to gossip, summarised in his correspondence to Allen in October 1914, helped fuel speculation about O’Sullivan.

1915 had not been kind to O’Sullivan, and after being found at no fault following the Stores Commission enquiry, he still faced a toxic relationship with the Board of Supply, a new organisation created to relieve the Defence Stores of provisioning responsibilities. The year’s strain affected O’Sullivan’s health, and he suffered two mental breakdowns, which forced him on an extended leave break from 18 October 1915 following an inspection of the Auckland Military District.[20] On hearing that O’Sullivan was to resume work early in January 1916, the Board of Supply reacted by sending the following message to Arthur Myers, the Minister of Munitions,

We understand that O’Sullivan has been instructed to resume duty on 4 January although his leave does not expire until 18th. Our opinion is that he should not be allowed to resume duty under any circumstances. The Board are of the opinion that his reinstatement would not be to the advantage of the department and would force the Board to seriously consider its position.[21]

This ultimatum placed the military in a difficult position. O’Sullivan’s long service and experience had been highly beneficial to the Defence establishment, and based on the Stores Commission report findings, there was no justification for his removal. This impasse continued until February, when negotiations between Robin and the Board agreed upon several initiatives agreeable to both parties, allowing progress forward. Robin proposed to the Board that an “Inspecting Quartermaster” post be created to provide the Commandant with an advisor on Military equipment specifications. This post was seen as necessary due to O’Sullivan’s long service. It allowed him to remain in the service for eighteen months until his planned retirement while moving him to a post amicable to the Board.

On 8 April 1916, Captain Thomas McCristell, the Trentham Camp Quartermaster, was formally appointed to O’Sullivan’s post as the redesignated Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores and QMG3 with the honorary rank of Major.[22] Updating Godley, Allen reported that

Captain McCristell has been placed in 0’Sullivan’s position, the latter being made Inspector of 0rdnance Stores. I should think 0’Sullivan has been more enquired into than any other officer in the department, but nothing very detrimental has come out about him; however, it seemed to me to be wise, especially in view of the fact that the Supplies Board -which is under the control of the Hon. Mr Myers, was so determined about it, that he should give up his position as head of the Stores. I have every confidence that McCristell will do well there. [23]

Although Allen still held O’Sullivan in high regard, Godley’s response was less optimistic, and he made it clear that he did not hold O’Sullivan in the same esteem as Allen replying,

I am sorry, but not altogether surprised, to hear about 0’Sullivan. I think you know my feeling about him, which is that considering the class of man he is, and the opportunities he has had, one can only be astonished at his moderation. Ninety-nine out of a hundred in his position would have made a large fortune.[24]

Signalling the end of the Defence Stores Department era was the resignation of O’Sullivan in January 1917.[25] At his request, on 31 January 1918, O’Sullivan retired from active duty after nearly thirty-nine years of continuous service, sixteen years of which he was in charge of the Defence Stores. In what must have been a bittersweet decision, O’Sullivan had provided thirty-nine years of continuous service in the Defence Department, seventeen of which were the head of the Defence Stores. Joining the service as an Armed Constabulary Trooper sent into the field with only “his Snider and 100 rounds, two blankets, waterproof sheet, greatcoat and haversack”, O’Sullivan must have been satisfied that because of his contribution, the New Zealand soldier of 1917 (including two of his sons) was as well-equipped and supported as those in any other modern army.[26]

After retiring from the service, O’Sullivan established his residence on a farm near Huntly, where he lived until he passed away on Christmas Eve 1925. His widow and two sons, James and William, who worked alongside him on the Huntly farm, and two daughters, Mrs Kathleen Lawson and Jessie, survived him. During the war, his son William served as an Armourer Sergeant in the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps and achieved recognition as a prominent Wellington representative Rugby player. Regrettably, Lieutenant Desmond O’Sullivan, another son, tragically lost his life in the Great War.

Major O’Sullivan spent most of his working life in Wellington, where he actively participated as a member of the Hibernian Society and the Wellington Bowling Club. His funeral occurred in Wellington, and he was laid to rest next to his daughter Grace in Karori Cemetery.

Major James O’Sullivan’s life is a remarkable testament to resilience and adaptability. From humble beginnings in Ireland, his journey led him to New Zealand, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s military logistics history. His dedication to the Defence Stores Department and his unwavering commitment to providing logistical support during critical periods of conflict showcased him as a dedicated civil servant. O’Sullivan’s career began in the Armed Constabulary, where he swiftly adapted to the demands of military life. His roles as Defence Stores clerk and later Defence Storekeeper highlighted his hands-on approach to store administration and his ability to build a robust military logistic network. His leadership in modernising the Defence Stores and introducing new equipment contributed significantly to New Zealand’s growing military capabilities. Despite facing personal tragedies, O’Sullivan continued to make substantial contributions. His creation of a professional Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant cadre and his pivotal role in managing the military logistics related to the 1913 waterfront dispute underscored his indispensable value to the military. When World War I erupted, O’Sullivan played a crucial part in equipping and supporting the forces. Unfortunately, he also endured controversy and unjust allegations, leading to his removal as Director of Equipment and Stores—a sombre end to an illustrious career.

While history has somewhat forgotten his contributions to New Zealand’s military logistics, this article aims to rekindle interest in O’Sullivan’s remarkable achievements.

Notes

[1] “Storekeeper Defence Department Wellington,” NZ Truth, Issue 303 15 April 1911, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTR19110415.2.24.

[2] “Major James O’Sullivan,” Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 867, 16 February 1917, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZFL19170216.2.36.

[3] “Major James O’Sullivan.”

[4] “Defence Storekeeper Appointed,” New Zealand Gazette No 98 p. 2154., 29 November 1900.

[5] “New Zealand Militia Honorary Officer appointed,” New Zealand Gazette No 45, 23 May 1907.

[6] Julia Millen, Salute to service: a history of the Royal New Zealand Corps of Transport and its predecessors, 1860-1996 (Wellington: Victoria University Press, 1997, 1997), 42-49.

[7] “Colonel J L Wheeler A O D applies for position of Director of Equipment [ and ] Ordnance Stores,” Archives New Zealand Item ID R24763490 (Wellington) 1911.

[8] “Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores – Proposals for appointment of,” Archives New Zealand Item ID R24763374 (Wellington) 1911.

[9] “Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores – Proposals for appointment of.”

[10] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, Resignations and Retirement of Staff and Territorial Force Officers,” New Zealand Gazette No 74, 21 September 1911.

[11] “Arms and Uniforms,” New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7978 (Christchurch), 8 December 1911, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM19111208.2.104.

[12] “Defence System,” Otago Daily Times, Issue 13786, 22 November 1911, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19111122.2.80.

[13] John Crawford, “Overt and covert military involvement in the 1890 Maritime Strike and 1913 Waterfront Strike in New Zealand,” Labour History, no. 60 (1991).

[14] “Peeps at the Barracks,” Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1903, (Wellinfgton), 11 November 1913, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19131111.2.76.

[15] “Defence Stores Staff,” Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2264, , 25 September 1914, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19140925.2.47.

[16] “Correspondence Major General Godley to James Allen 26 October 1914,” R22319698 – Ministerial Files – Correspondence with General Godley (1914).

[17] Wellington Defence Storekeeper, “Defence Store Commission (Commission of Inquiry re Defence Stores), July 1915 – September 1915,” Archives New Zealand Item No R3898696 (1915).

[18] Defence Storekeeper, “Defence Store Commission (Commission of Inquiry re Defence Stores), July 1915 – September 1915.”

[19] “Correspondence James Allen to Major General Godley 4 January,” R22319698 – Ministerial Files – Correspondence with General Godley (1916).

[20] “Reports Report on equipment etc. Auckland District Major O’Sullivan,” Archives New Zealand Item No R22432211 (1915).

[21] “Munitions and Supplies Board, August 1915 April 1921,” Archives New Zealand Item No R3898765 (1915-21).

[22] The officer selected to replace O’Sullivan was Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) Thomas McCristell. A professional soldier with a flair for administration, McCristell had been pre-war Adjutant to the 2nd Battalion, 17th (Ruahine) Regiment before being appointed as the Camp Quartermaster at Trentham Camp. “McCristell. Thomas James,” Personal File, Archives New Zealand (Wellington) 1914.

[23] “Correspondence James Allen to Major General Godley 13 April “, R22319698 – Ministerial Files – Correspondence with General Godley (1916).

[24] “Correspondence Major General Godley to James Allen 24 March,” R22319699 – Ministerial Files – Correspondence with General Godley (1916).

[25] “Retired on Superannuation,” Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 28, 1 February 1917, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19170201.2.78.

[26] “Major James O’Sullivan.”

NZ Defence Stores July 1870 – June 1871

1 Comment Robert McKie

Consolidation after Imperial Withdrawal

The year from June 1870 to June 1871 was a formative period in the development of New Zealand’s Defence Stores system. By mid-1870, the withdrawal of Imperial forces from New Zealand was effectively complete, and with it ended the practical dominance of the British military storekeeping system that had supported Imperial operations in the colony. The responsibility for military stores, arms, ammunition, magazines, repairs, inspection, and accounting now rested with New Zealand’s own colonial defence administration.

This transition did not produce a large or elaborate organisation. The Defence Stores establishment remained small, dispersed, and heavily dependent on a limited number of experienced individuals. Yet it was now indispensable. The Armed Constabulary, Militia, and Volunteers all depended on arms, accoutrements, ammunition, magazines, repairs, and accountable issue systems. In this context, the Defence Stores were not merely warehouses. They were the technical and administrative mechanism that allowed New Zealand’s colonial forces to function.

Legislative and Financial Setting

The Militia Act 1870, passed on 12 September 1870, consolidated and amended the law relating to the Militia in New Zealand. It confirmed the Governor as Commander-in-Chief, provided for militia districts, battalions, and company divisions, and included provisions requiring arms and equipment to be returned when required. It also created penalties for losing, spoiling, selling, or pawning arms. These provisions are important because they show that the control of public arms was recognised as a matter of law, not simply routine administration.[1]

The financial setting was shaped by the Defence and other Purposes Loan Act 1870, which authorised the raising of £1,000,000, approximately NZ$180 million in 2026 values, for defence and other purposes. The Act allowed money to be borrowed in Great Britain or elsewhere and provided that the annual charge for interest and sinking fund was not to exceed six per cent.[2] A further Temporary Loan Act 1870 authorised the raising of up to £500,000, approximately NZ$90 million in 2026 values, in anticipation of monies to be raised under the larger loan legislation.[3]

Within this wider financial framework, the Store Department was provided for as a distinct defence function. The Appropriation Act 1870 funded an establishment that included an Inspector of Stores, clerks, storekeepers, sub-storekeepers, armourers, arms cleaners, magazine keepers, and operating expenses.[4]

For the modern equivalents used in this article, a working conversion of £1 in 1870 ≈ NZ$180 in 2026 values has been applied. The resulting figures are rounded and should be treated as indicative rather than exact.

Store Department Establishment, 1870–71

The following table places names against appointments where possible. Some identifications remain provisional, as the Appropriation Act lists positions and salaries rather than names. The named appointments have been drawn from the 1871 Civil Establishment nominal roll, the existing Defence Stores July 1870 to June 1871 article, the Auckland Defence Store article, and the compiled Defence Stores nominal roll.

Personnel Establishment

Appointment	Probable or confirmed incumbent, 1870–71	1870–71 amount	Approx. 2026 NZD
Inspector of Stores	Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Gorton	£500 0s. 0d.	$90,000
Clerk, Head Office	George Simpson Lockie	£150 0s. 0d.	$27,000
Storekeeper, Auckland	Major William St Clair Tisdall	£250 0s. 0d.	$45,000
Storekeeper, Wellington	Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Elmhirst Reader	£100 0s. 0d.	$18,000
Sub-storekeeper, Wanganui	Charles Chalklin	£150 0s. 0d.	$27,000
Two clerks, Auckland	John Blomfield and John Price	£320 0s. 0d.	$57,600
One clerk, Wellington	Alexander Crowe	£150 0s. 0d.	$27,000
Store Department clerk, Wellington	Sam Cosgrave Anderson	Not separately listed in this vote	Not separately calculated
Sub-storekeeper, Patea	C. A. Wray	£150 0s. 0d.	$27,000
Armourer, Auckland	David Evitt	£182 0s. 0d.	$32,760
Armourer, Wellington	Edward Metcalf Smith and Edwin Henry Bradford	£182 0s. 0d.	$32,760
Arms cleaners, Auckland	Thomas Gibbons, John Penligen, Charles Phillips, William Cook Rockley	£438 0s. 0d.	$78,840
Arms cleaners, Wellington	William Warren, John Shaw, James Smith, Walter Christie	£438 0s. 0d.	$78,840
Magazine keeper, Auckland	John Broughton	£83 10s. 0d.	$15,030
Magazine keeper, Wellington	William Corliss	£63 17s. 6d.	$11,498
Personnel establishment total		£3,317 7s. 6d.	$597,128

The appropriation and Public Accounts identify appointments and expenditure categories, but not always the individual recipients. Names have therefore been matched to appointments from nominal rolls, Gazette notices and related departmental research. Unless directly confirmed, the association should not be treated as proof that the individual drew the full annual amount from that vote.

Departmental Expenses

Expense	1870–71 amount	Approx. 2026 NZD	Notes
Rent, advertising, and contingencies	£150 0s. 0d.	$27,000	General operating costs of the Store Department.
Travelling expenses of inspecting officers	£90 0s. 0d.	$16,200	Supported inspection of stores, arms, and local establishments.
Departmental expenses total	£240 0s. 0d.	$43,200

Total Store Department Vote

Category	1870–71 amount	Approx. 2026 NZD
Personnel establishment	£3,317 7s. 6d.	$597,128
Departmental expenses	£240 0s. 0d.	$43,200
Total Store Department vote	£3,557 7s. 6d.	$640,328

This named establishment shows that the Store Department was more than a paper vote. By 1870–71, it included a recognisable network of storekeepers, clerks, armourers, arms cleaners, sub-storekeepers, and magazine keepers spread across Auckland, Wellington, Wanganui, and Patea. Separate from this personnel establishment were the department’s operating expenses, including rent, advertising, contingencies, and the travelling expenses of inspecting officers. Although modest, these expenses supported the inspection and accountability system that allowed the Defence Stores to supervise arms, ammunition, magazines, and equipment across several dispersed locations.

District Sub-storekeepers and the Dispersed Store System

In addition to the main stores at Wellington and Auckland, the Defence Stores system relied on a dispersed network of district sub-storekeepers. The existing return records district sub-storekeepers at Hamilton, Tauranga, Opotiki, Te Wairoa, Napier, Marton, Wanganui, Patea, New Plymouth, Blenheim, Nelson, Christchurch, Hokitika, Dunedin, and Invercargill. This demonstrates that the Store Department’s responsibilities extended well beyond the two principal depots. Arms, ammunition, camp equipment, tools, and accoutrements had to be held, issued, recovered, and accounted for across the colony.

The district sub-storekeeper role was often held alongside other duties. Often these appointments were combined with Militia Drill Instructor duties, Public Works sub-storekeeper duties, or Armed Constabulary sub-storekeeper responsibilities. This reflected both the small scale of the establishment and the practical need for local officials to serve multiple functions.

Public Accounts and Actual Store Department Expenditure

The Public Accounts for 1870–71 record actual Store Department expenditure of £3,458 17s. 3d., approximately NZ$622,598 in 2026 values. This was slightly below the authorised vote of £3,557 7s. 6d. The expenditure included salaries for the Inspector, storekeepers, and clerks, payments for armourers and arms cleaners, rent, advertising, contingencies, travelling expenses for inspecting officers, and the salaries of the Auckland and Wellington magazine keepers.[5]

This expenditure was modest when measured against the broader defence loans of the period, but it sustained the core mechanism of colonial military materiel management. The Store Department was responsible for ensuring that arms were maintained, ammunition was secured, stores were accounted for, and technical defects were identified and corrected.

Arms, Ammunition, Repairs, and Related Defence Expenditure

In addition to the Store Department establishment and operating expenses, the 1870–71 accounts record separate expenditure on arms, ammunition, repairs, targets, freight, insurance, and other defence-related costs. These were not listed as part of the Store Department personnel vote, but they directly affected the work of the Defence Stores, armourers, arms cleaners, and magazine keepers.

Under the Defence and other Purposes Loan Act 1870, the Government was authorised to apply loan funds to colonial defence expenditure. The First Schedule allowed up to £180,000 for colonial defence costs, charges, expenses, and liabilities for the year ending 30 June 1871, approximately NZ$32.4 million in 2026 values. A further £160,000, approximately NZ$28.8 million, was authorised for the year ending 30 June 1872.[6]

The Public Accounts for 1870–71 show that defence expenditure under Schedule I of the loan included the Armed Constabulary, miscellaneous defence expenditure, the steamer Luna, and Contingent Defence. Within those categories, several items related directly to the purchase, maintenance, carriage, and use of arms and ammunition.[7]

Arms, Ammunition, and Related Defence Costs, 1870–71

Item	1870–71 amount	Approx. 2026 NZD	Notes
Armed Constabulary, arms, ammunition, etc.	£563 15s. 3d.	$101,477	Arms and ammunition expenditure within Armed Constabulary contingent expenditure.
Purchase of arms	£948 19s. 6d.	$170,816	Listed under miscellaneous defence expenditure.
Purchase of ammunition	£593 6s. 6d.	$106,799	Listed separately from purchase of arms.
Repair of arms	£21 13s. 6d.	$3,902	Small but significant evidence of ongoing armourer work.
Targets	£61 1s. 6d.	$10,994	Supports rifle practice and prize firing.
Carriage and freight	£227 15s. 7d.	$41,000	Movement of arms, ammunition, targets, or associated stores.
Insurance	£150 0s. 0d.	$27,000	Likely associated with transport or storage risk.
Contingent Defence, ammunition and accoutrements	£4,697 19s. 0d.	$845,631	The largest directly identifiable arms, ammunition, and equipment-related item.
Total directly related to arms, ammunition, repairs, targets, freight, insurance, and accoutrements	£7,264 10s. 10d.	$1,307,618

The largest single item was £4,697 19s. for ammunition and accoutrements under Contingent Defence, approximately NZ$845,631 in 2026 values. This was significantly larger than the ordinary purchase of arms and ammunition listed under miscellaneous defence expenditure, suggesting that the most substantial equipment-related costs were associated with contingent or operational defence needs rather than routine store replacement.[8]

The accounts also recorded recoveries credited against colonial defence expenditure, including £98 10s. 5d. for arms and accoutrements and £344 1s. 11d. for ammunition. This was a combined recovery of £442 12s. 4d., approximately NZ$79,666 in 2026 values. These recoveries show that some costs were offset by repayments, returns, or credits, although the accounts do not provide enough detail to identify each transaction.[9]

This detailed expenditure adds an important dimension to the Defence Stores story. The Store Department’s own vote funded the people and machinery of storekeeping, but the broader defence accounts show the flow of materiel that those people had to receive, inspect, store, issue, repair, transport, and account for. Purchases of arms and ammunition, repairs of arms, provision of targets, carriage and freight, and the large contingent defence expenditure on ammunition and accoutrements all point to an active system of military supply rather than a dormant post-war storehouse.

Defence Stores Stock Holdings, August 1870

One of the most useful surviving snapshots of the Defence Stores system is the return of small arms, ordnance, ammunition, camp equipment, implements, and saddlery in military use as at 17 August 1870. This return gives scale to the Store Department’s task. It was not simply paying clerks and storekeepers. It was managing a large and mixed inventory of modern, obsolescent, and legacy weapons. The existing post cites this return as Edward Gorton’s report on the system of store accounts and returns of arms, ordnance, ammunition, and various stores.

Arms, Ordnance, and Ammunition in Store

Category	Item	Quantity
Small arms	Snider, all patterns	2,293
Small arms	Medium Hay Pattern rifles	7,726
Small arms	Enfield Pattern 1853 rifles	1,460
Small arms	Rifle, breech, Calisher & Terry	26
Small arms	Short Enfield sword rifles, Pattern 1853	33
Small arms	Spencer rifles	4
Small arms	Mont Storm rifles	5
Small arms	Percussion muskets, Pattern 1839	222
Small arms	Carbine, breech, Calisher & Terry	284
Small arms	Muzzle-loading Enfield artillery carbines	67
Small arms	Colt revolving carbines	4
Small arms	Percussion carbines, various types	12
Small arms	Revolvers, various types	215
Edged weapons	Cavalry swords	153
Ordnance	RBL 40-pounders	2
Ordnance	RBL 6-pounders	2
Ordnance	24-pounder howitzers	3
Ordnance	4.2/5-inch mortars	11
Ordnance	6-pounder carronade	1
Ordnance	3-pounder smooth bore gun	1
Small-arms ammunition	Snider rounds	470,228
Small-arms ammunition	Enfield rounds	1,804,983
Small-arms ammunition	Breech-loading carbine rounds	251,324
Small-arms ammunition	Revolver rounds	287,148
Small-arms ammunition	Percussion musket rounds	160,152
Ordnance ammunition	Cartridges	14,145
Ordnance ammunition	Shot and shell	22,806

The in-store holdings alone show the complexity of the Defence Stores task. The department held modern Snider rifles alongside large numbers of older Enfield and Medium Hay Pattern rifles, specialist carbines, revolvers, swords, artillery pieces, mortars, and large quantities of ammunition. This mixture of current, ageing, and specialist equipment required careful accounting and technical oversight.

Arms and Ordnance on Issue

Category	Item	Quantity
Small arms	Snider, all patterns	208
Small arms	Medium Hay Pattern rifles	9,263
Small arms	Enfield Pattern 1853 rifles	6,473
Small arms	Rifle, breech, Calisher & Terry	7
Small arms	Short Enfield sword rifles, Pattern 1853	224
Small arms	Spencer rifles	4
Small arms	Percussion muskets, Pattern 1839	1,007
Small arms	Breech-loading carbines	1,271
Small arms	Muzzle-loading Enfield artillery carbines	218
Small arms	Colt revolving carbines	2
Small arms	Percussion carbines, various types	267
Small arms	Revolvers, various types	934
Edged weapons	Cavalry swords	903
Ordnance	RBL 12-pounders	6
Ordnance	RBL 6-pounders	4
Ordnance	6-pounder brass gun	1
Ordnance	24-pounder howitzers	7
Ordnance	32-pounder iron guns	3
Ordnance	24-pounder iron guns	8
Ordnance	12-pounder iron guns	5

The quantities on issue are particularly important. They show that the principal challenge was not simply holding stores in depots, but accounting for thousands of weapons already dispersed to colonial forces. More than 9,000 Medium Hay Pattern rifles, 6,400 Enfields, 1,200 breech-loading carbines, 900 revolvers, and 900 cavalry swords were already away from the main stores and in the hands of units, posts, or local authorities.

Camp Equipment, Implements, and Saddlery

The August 1870 return also recorded camp equipment, implements, and saddlery. This broadens the understanding of the Defence Stores beyond arms and ammunition. The department also held the equipment needed for colonial forces to camp, dig, build, move, and sustain themselves in the field.

Camp Equipment, Implements, and Saddlery in Store

Item	Quantity
Circular tents	326
Indian tents	30
Field officer marquees	13
Waterproof sheets	523
Blankets	647
Felling axes	166
Pick axes	1,036
Fern hooks	115
Bill hooks	91
Spades	1,298
Shovels	1,214
Wheelbarrows	413
Mattocks	111
Cross-cut saws	41
Riding saddles	285
Bridles	262
Pack saddles	101

Camp Equipment, Implements, and Saddlery on Issue

Item	Quantity
Circular tents	130
Indian tents	14
Waterproof sheets	58
Blankets	275
Felling axes	235
Pick axes	239
Fern hooks	90
Bill hooks	35
Spades	400
Shovels	291
Wheelbarrows	85
Mattocks	18
Cross-cut saws	14
Riding saddles	48
Bridles	48
Pack saddles	47

This material shows that the Defence Stores had a broader field support role. It managed not only weapons and ammunition but also tents, blankets, tools, saddlery, and pack equipment. These were the practical stores required to support movement, field works, camps, mounted activity, and local defence operations.

Gorton’s Inspection Circuit

The travelling expenses provided in the Store Department vote were not theoretical. During the year, Inspector of Stores Edward Gorton inspected Auckland in July 1870, Wanganui and Napier in August, Wanganui and Auckland in December, Christchurch in April 1871, Dunedin in May, and Auckland, Tauranga, and Thames in June. This inspection circuit demonstrates how the Store Department attempted to impose accountability across a dispersed system of depots, district stores, magazines, and issued arms.

These inspections are significant because they connect the financial vote to actual departmental activity. The Store Department was not sitting passively in Wellington and Auckland. It was inspecting, checking, and attempting to control stores across the colony.

The Albert Barracks Powder Magazine and the Move to Mount Eden

The management of powder was one of the most sensitive Defence Stores responsibilities. In February 1871, Auckland newspapers reported public concern about the powder magazine at Albert Barracks, including rumours of an attempt to ignite it and criticism that entry controls had relaxed since the departure of the British garrison. There was also concern that the quantity of powder held in the magazine exceeded what was recorded in official documents. Given the magazine’s position in a densely populated part of Auckland, this raised fears of a catastrophic explosion.

By March 1871, it was announced that the powder magazine would be transferred from Albert Barracks to Mount Eden, and by May tenders were being sought for construction of the new magazine. This episode is important because it shows that the Defence Stores’ responsibilities were not confined to accounting and issue. They included the safe custody of explosive stores, the accuracy of ammunition records, and the siting of magazines in relation to public safety.

Armourers, Arms Cleaners, and the Control of Rifles

During inspections conducted by armourers, unauthorised alterations to rifle backsights were identified, leading Lieutenant-Colonel Gorton in November 1870 to direct that altered rifles be returned to store. This incident is worth retaining and expanding, because it shows the Defence Stores acting as a technical authority, not simply as a storage office.

The issue was significant. In a militia and volunteer system, arms were widely distributed across local corps and districts. Without regular inspection, rifles could be modified, neglected, damaged, or retained without proper accountability. The presence of armourers at Auckland and Wellington, supported by arms cleaners at both centres, reflects the practical requirement to keep colonial weapons safe, serviceable, and standardised.

The wider history of New Zealand military armourers reinforces this point. Between the 1860s and 1900, New Zealand’s military armourers evolved from civilian gunsmiths and part-time artificers into a more professional group whose technical skills underpinned the readiness of the colony’s forces. The 1870–71 rifle-sight incident therefore illustrates a broader pattern: technical control of arms was becoming an essential part of colonial defence administration.

Edward Metcalf Smith and Iron-sand Experiments

Edward Metcalf Smith adds a useful technical dimension to the Defence Stores story. Smith had accumulated experience in the iron industry before undertaking a gunsmith apprenticeship at the Royal Small Arms factories in London and Enfield, followed by service at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. Arriving in New Zealand in 1861 as Garrison Armourer, he later served as armourer for the Taranaki Militia and Taranaki Rifle Volunteers.

By 1871, Smith had relocated to Wellington as Defence Armourer. Drawing on the resources of the armourers’ shop, he continued experimenting with Taranaki iron sand and refining his smelting process. His presence shows that the Defence Stores workshops were not merely places for routine cleaning and repair. They were also centres of practical technical knowledge, where experienced tradesmen applied workshop skills to broader colonial industrial problems.

Auckland Defence Store

The Auckland Defence Store remained one of the most important sites in the colonial storekeeping network. Auckland had been the main centre of Imperial and colonial military activity during much of the New Zealand Wars, and its storekeeping arrangements evolved from earlier Colonial Store and Militia Store systems. By 1870–71, the Auckland establishment included Major William St Clair Tisdall as Storekeeper, John Blomfield and John Price as clerks, George Evitt as armourer, Thomas Gibbins, John Penligen, Charles Philips, and William Cook Rockley as arms cleaners, and John Broughton as magazine keeper.

The later development of Auckland’s ordnance estate, including the movement of magazines to Mount Eden and the creation of more purpose-built facilities, shows that the improvised arrangements of the early 1870s were only the beginning of a longer process. New Zealand inherited a patchwork of armouries, magazines, depots, and barracks after Imperial withdrawal, and the gradual shift toward purpose-built logistics infrastructure began from this point.

Wellington Defence Stores, Mount Cook

At Wellington, the Defence Stores were centred on the Mount Cook Depot at Buckle Street. The named personnel for 1870–71 included Henry Elmhirst Reader as Storekeeper, Alexander Crowe as clerk, Edward Metcalf Smith and Edwin Henry Bradford as armourers, William Warren, John Shaw, James Smith, and Walter Christie as arms cleaners, and William Corliss as magazine keeper.

Mount Cook had previously been associated with Imperial military use, but by 1870–71 it was firmly part of the colonial defence system. Its use as a store, magazine, workshop, and later ordnance site connects the immediate post-Imperial Defence Stores establishment with the much longer history of Buckle Street as a centre of New Zealand military logistics.

The Joint Committee on Colonial Defence

In 1871, the Joint Committee on Colonial Defence examined both external and internal defence. For external defence, the committee considered the risk of sudden attack by a small cruiser or privateer against New Zealand’s harbours, but judged that the cost of large harbour defence works was too great for the time being. For internal defence, it identified the Armed Constabulary, Militia, and Volunteers as the available means of defence.[10]

Most importantly for this article, the committee recommended a reorganisation of the General Staff that included a Lieutenant-Colonel, Quartermaster-General and Colonial Storekeeper. This recommendation placed storekeeping and supply functions at the level of senior defence administration, alongside the Adjutant-General, Paymaster-General, and Inspecting Field Officer.

Although these were only recommendations, it shows that contemporaries understood the importance of stores, equipment, accounting, and supply to the effective management of colonial defence.

Armed Constabulary Readiness and Local Resources

The Armed Constabulary remained one of the main users of Defence Stores. In March 1871, the Defence Minister issued a circular to officers commanding Armed Constabulary posts, stressing that the efficiency of the standing force had to compensate for its numerical inferiority. Officers were instructed to know the country around their posts, including roads, tracks, streams, settlers, food, horses, and stores available in an emergency.[11]

This circular adds useful context to the Defence Stores story. Defence readiness was not simply a matter of men under arms. It required local knowledge, mobility, stores, transport, food, horses, ammunition, and serviceable weapons. The Defence Stores provided the materiel foundation for that system, while local officers were expected to understand how to use available resources in an emergency.

Volunteers and the Demand for Arms

The Inspector of Militia and Volunteers reported that Volunteer strength increased from 5,407 in June 1870 to 6,568 by 31 March 1871, with the number qualifying for capitation also increasing. He attributed this growth partly to increased capitation allowances and legislative encouragement.[12]

This increase placed additional pressure on the Defence Stores. More Volunteers meant more rifles, accoutrements, ammunition, inspections, repairs, accounting, and recoveries. The Store Department’s small establishment therefore supported a growing citizen-force system at the same time as New Zealand was reducing its reliance on Imperial troops.

Harbour Defence and the Limits of Resources

Papers relating to the defence of New Zealand harbours show that the Government was concerned about the risk of attack by small but heavily armed cruisers. In March 1871, Captain Hutton was asked to report on Auckland harbour defence, taking into account economy, efficiency, batteries, ordnance, and even torpedoes.[13]

This issue connects directly to the Defence Stores. Harbour defence, whether implemented immediately or deferred, required guns, carriages, ammunition, tools, storage, trained detachments, magazines, and repair capacity. Even where major expenditure was postponed, the debate reinforced the need for a reliable colonial store system capable of supporting whatever defence policy was adopted.

Conclusion

The period from June 1870 to June 1871 was a year of consolidation for New Zealand’s Defence Stores. With Imperial forces gone, New Zealand had to maintain its own arms, ammunition, stores, magazines, workshops, buildings, and accounting systems. The Store Department’s authorised vote of £3,557 7s. 6d., approximately NZ$640,328 in 2026 values, was modest, but it supported a small network of personnel whose work underpinned the readiness of the Armed Constabulary, Militia, and Volunteers.

When the wider defence accounts are included, the importance of the Defence Stores becomes even clearer. Its personnel establishment of just over £3,300 supported the management of arms, ammunition, repairs, freight, targets, magazines, and accoutrements valued at many thousands of pounds more, including over £7,200, approximately NZ$1.3 million in 2026 values, in directly identifiable arms, ammunition, repair, target, freight, insurance, and accoutrement-related expenditure during 1870–71.

The year also reveals the human foundations of the Defence Stores system. Edward Gorton provided inspection and oversight. Henry Elmhirst Reader and William St Clair Tisdall managed key store locations. Sam Cosgrave Anderson gained the experience that would later make him Defence Storekeeper. Edwin Henry Bradford, Edward Metcalf Smith, George Evitt, and Walter Christie represented the technical trades that kept weapons serviceable, while magazine keepers such as William Corliss and John Broughton provided custody of ammunition and powder.

This was not yet the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps, but it was one of its direct administrative and technical ancestors. The Store Department inherited much from the Imperial system, including its stores, practices, responsibilities, and problems, but it also began adapting them to colonial needs. In this sense, 1870–71 was more than a quiet administrative year after the departure of Imperial troops. It marked the point at which New Zealand’s own defence storekeeping system became essential to the colony’s military independence..

Notes

[1] General Assembly of New Zealand, “The Militia Act 1870,” (1870), http://www.nzlii.org/nz/legis/hist_act/ma187033a34v1870n87223/.

[2] New Zealand, Defence and other Purposes Loan Act 1870 (33 and 34 Victoriae 1870 No 81) (New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office, 1870). https://www.nzlii.org/nz/legis/hist_act/daopla187033a34v1870n81428/.

[3] Zealand, Defence and other Purposes Loan Act 1870 (33 and 34 Victoriae 1870 No 81).

[4] Appropriation Act 1870 (33 and 34 Victoriae 1870 No 97), (New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office, 1870). https://www.nzlii.org/nz/legis/hist_act/aa187033a34v1870n97312/.

[5] “Public Accounts of the General Government of New Zealand, for the Financial Year 1870-71, Commencing 1 July 1870 and ending 30 June 1874,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives 1872 Session I, B-01 (9 October 1872), https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/AJHR1872-I.2.1.3.1.

[6] Zealand, Defence and other Purposes Loan Act 1870 (33 and 34 Victoriae 1870 No 81).

[7] “Public Accounts of the General Government of New Zealand, for the Financial Year 1870-71, Commencing 1 July 1870 and ending 30 June 1874.”

[8] “Public Accounts of the General Government of New Zealand, for the Financial Year 1870-71, Commencing 1 July 1870 and ending 30 June 1874.”

[9] “Public Accounts of the General Government of New Zealand, for the Financial Year 1870-71, Commencing 1 July 1870 and ending 30 June 1874.”

[10] “Report by the Committees of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives, sitting in Conference, on the Defence of the Colony,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives 1871 Session I, H-09 (9 October 1871), https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/AJHR1871-I.2.2.5.12.

[11] “Annual Report on the State, Efficiency and Distribution of the Armed Constabulary Force,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1871 Session I, G-05 (14 June 1871), https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/AJHR1871-I.2.2.4.7.

[12] “Annual Report of the Inspector of Militia and Volunteers,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1871 Session I, G-05b ( 1871), https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/AJHR1871-I.2.2.4.9.

[13] “Papers relative to Defence of the Harbours of New Zealand,,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives 1871 Session I, A-04 (9 October 1871), https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/AJHR1871-I.2.1.2.6.

Defence Preparations – New Zealand Defence Stores 1911

Notes

[1] Peter Cooke and John Crawford, The Territorials (Wellington: Random House New Zealand Ltd, 2011), 153.

[2] I. C. McGibbon and Paul William Goldstone, The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Military History (Auckland; Melbourne; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, 2000), Bibliographies, Non-fiction, 109-10.

[3] “Arms and Uniforms,” New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7978, 8 December 1911.

Auckland Defence Store, 1861 – 1903

Notes

[1] Queen’s Redoubt Assistant Military Secretary, “Correspondence Stating That There Is No Objection to the Erection of a Store for Colonial Purposes Adjoining Armoury Albert Barracks,” Archives New Zealand Item No R24075932 (1863).

[2] M. R. Wicksteed, The New Zealand Army: A History from the 1840s to the 1980s ([Ministry of Defence, 1982), Non-fiction, 2-3.

[3] Under the provisions of the Public Domains Act 1860, the Auckland Military Reserves Act 1871 established the land that Albert Barracks occupied as Crown land.

[4] “New Power Magazine at Mount Eden,” New Zealand Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 2377, 7 September 1871.

[5] The Magazine Keeper was Mr J Broughton; Tindall’s other staff consisted of his Clerk Mr J Blomfield. Armourer Mr D Evitt and Three Arms Cleaners Mr’s F Gibbons, J Penligan and C.C Rockley. “D-13 Nominal Roll of the Civil Establishment of New Zealand on the 1st July 1872,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives (1872); “Nominal Return of Officer in Defence Department and Armed Constabulary Force on 1 July 1872,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1873 Session I, H-24a (1872).

[6] “Deputation from the Auckland Improvement Commissioners,” New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 2859, 28 March 1873.

[7] “Militia Store Move,” Auckland Star, Volume IV, Issue 1087, 17 July 1873.

[8] “Wooden Building in Albert Barracks,” New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 09, 30 September 1873.

[9] “Russian Guns,” New Zealand Herald, Volume XI, Issue 3927, 13 June 1874.

[10] “Albert Park Armoury,” Auckland Star, Volume XII, Issue 3523, 22 November 1881.

[11] Linking Princes and Symonds Streets, O’Rourke Street is now occupied by Auckland University, Captain Anderson, “Old Defence Store to Be Sold by Tender, All the Muzzle Loading Rifles to Be Sent by “Hinemoa”,” Archives New Zealand Item No R24280543 (1883).

[12] “Flashes,” Wanganui Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5047, 27 April 1883.

[13] “Reductions in Civil Service,” Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1888 Session I, H-30, 11 May 1888.

[14] A. H. McLintock, ” Frederick John William Gascoyne,” http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/1966/gascoyne-or-gascoigne-frederick-john-william.

[15] “Volunteer Gossip,” Observer, Volume XI, Issue 656, (1891).

[16] “The Maori Trouble,” Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 114, 16 May 1898.

[17] Wellington Defence Storekeeper, ” Subject: Report of Inspection of Defence Stores Auckland. Again Urges Removal of Store from O’Rourke [O’rorke] Street to Mount Eden Cost to Be Met by Police Department ” Archives New Zealand Item No R24743403 (1903).

John Henry Jerred

2 Comments Robert McKie

Located in Wellington’s Karori cemetery is the long-forgotten grave of John Henry Jerred, Assistant Defence Storekeeper, who died on 20 December 1902. John Henry Jerred had served in Government service for twenty-two years from 1880 as a Police Constable, Engineer on Torpedo Boats, and as a storekeeper in the Defence Stores. However, losing a leg while in the Police had adversely affected his ability to gain life insurance, join a Friendly Society, or earn a fair wage leaving his family financially unprepared for his early death. Such was the standing and high esteem of John Jerred that his friends erected a fitting memorial to John’s life. Sadly, now in disrepair, John Jerred’s graveside and his life have long been forgotten. Thanks to the keen eyes of members of the NZ Remembrance Army, John Jerred’s resting place has been rediscovered and is on the path to refurbishment.

John Jerreds Headstone, Robert McKie Collecrion

Born in London in 1860, John was an engineer by profession and arrived in New Zealand around 1879 and commenced his career in Wellington.

Joining the Armed Constabulary on 1 February 1880, John undertook the required initial training and settled into the Depot Routine at the Armed Constabulary’s Mount Cook Depot in Wellington. In September 1880, John was one of many Armed Constabulary men sent to Ripapa Island in Lyttelton Harbour as guards for 160 Māori from Parihaka.

Ripapa Island was briefly utilised as a quarantine station with purpose-built accommodation for over 300 immigrants. However, with the more spacious Quail Island designated a quarantine station in 1875, Ripapa’s barracks were devoid of purpose until the government found a use for it as a prison for Māori Ploughmen that had been imprisoned without trial due to the Parihaka Māori settlement’s passive resistance campaign against the surveying and selling off its land by the government, which led to the 1881 Parihaka invasion.

[Medley, Mary Catherine] 1835-1922 :[Quarantine Island Port Lyttelton. 1880s or 1890s], Alexander Turnbull Library. the new Ripapa (known as Ripa) Island quarantine station included barracks, a hospital, service buildings, a barrack master’s cottage and a jetty.

Each guard was issued with a Snyder repeating rifle with 40 rounds of ball ammunition and an Adams revolver with 18 Rounds. A typical guard shift was for 24 hours, starting at 9 am. Daily routine allowed the prisoners out of their barracks for recreation from 9 am to 1 pm, and following lunch, from 2 pm to 6 pm, after dinner, they secured their prisoners in their barracks for the night. The guards were on shifts throughout the night to ensure that two were always awake. Following relief at 9 am, the old guard unloaded the streamer from Lyttleton of provisions and coal before cleaning their weapons and standing down for the rest of the day.

He was completing such a shift on 10 December 1880 when before standing down, John cleaned his revolver. On completion of cleaning his revolver, he reloaded it. However, he noticed a spot on the chamber that he had missed in his exhausted state, which he then cleaned and distracted with tiredness, accidentally discharged the revolver into his leg, shattering the thigh bone.

Admitted to Christchurch hospital, the leg was set. It was expected that after a period of recovery, Jonh might keep his leg with only a limp to remind him of the accident. Unable to return to full duty, John remained on light duties and, in July 1881, was posted to Wellington, where he took up duties as a librarian. However, John’s recovery was not going well, and in November 1881, he was admitted to Wellington hospital, with the only option being the amputation of his leg on 13 November. Now permanently disabled, John returned to his role as a librarian.

From the late 1870s, New Zealand had been under the spectre of incursion by Russia into the Southern Seas prompting what has become known as the Russia Scare. Cognisant of the potential threat, the New Zealand Government decided to construct fortifications and purchase torpedo boats to protect the harbours at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttleton and Port Chalmers. With Torpedo boats ordered and due for delivery in 1884, John’s skills as an Engineer became useful. On 17 May 1883, he was attested as an Artificer in the Permanent militia, taking charge of the machinery of the torpedo boats allocated to Wellington.

Example of a spar torpedo boat, http://navymuseum.co.nz/spar-torpedo-boats/

With the torpedo boats used on alternative weekends by the Wellington and Petone Naval volunteers, John could not remain on the torpedo boats when they took to the sea for their weekend exercises due to not holding the correct certification. To rectify this and increase his utility, John sat and passed the examination on 8 October 1883, gaining the required certification.

To service the construction of fortifications on the then remote Miramar peninsula, the Defence Department purchased the motor launch the SS Ellen Balance in 1885, with Jarred placed in charge of its engines in November 1885. However, with the ongoing maintenance of the Torpedo boats proving troublesome, John was put back in charge of them in January 1886.

Star Boating Club Submarine Mining Volunteer Corps, Shelly Bay, Wellington. Andrews, C J, fl 1979 :Photographs of the Star Boating Club Submarine Mining Volunteer Corps. Ref: 1/2-091774-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23233117

The Torpedo Boat SS Waitemata had been transferred to Auckland in 1885 and required an experienced engineer to keep it operational, so Jarred was transferred to Auckland on 20 April 1886 to take charge of the SS Waitemata. On 4 August 1886, John was attested for three more years’ service in the Permanent Militia.

Auckland’s climate was favourable for Jarred, but his time in Auckland was short, and in May 1887, he was recalled to Wellington to take charge of the Defence vessel SS Isabel as the Engineer & Stoker.

In 1887, John married Mary Ann Bell, and they had two children, Ida Isabel, born in 1888 and Harold Vincent, born 1 December 1894.

Despite John’s experience as an engineer, he was considered because of his disability, a liability. In a cost reduction exercise typical of the Defence Department, John was dismissed from the service under a scheme of only keeping physically able men employed on 22 February 1888. This dismissal did not sit well with John. He appealed the decision highlighting that the savings made in dismissing him were negated because it cost more to employ civilian engineers to fill the void left by his dismissal. John’s appeals, although supported by many, were unsuccessful in reversing his dismissal. However, he has offered the caretaker position for the Ministerial Residence on Tinakori Road in Wellington in compensation.

Returning to the employ of the Defence Department on 9 December 1889, John was appointed as Arms Cleaner in the Defence Stores. Under the Defence Storekeeper, Captain Sam Anderson, John was not utilised as an Arms Cleaner but was employed in Clerical and General Store Work. On the death of William Warren, one of the Defence Stores Storeman on 28 January 1894, John was appointed as Acting Storeman.

On 28 September 1899, the New Zealand Premier’ King Dick’ Seddon offered to the Imperial Government in London, in the event of war with the Boer Republics, the services of a contingent of Mounted Infantry for service in South Africa. The offer was accepted, and when war broke out on 11 October 1899, New Zealand was swept up in a wave of patriotic fervour. This mobilisation pushed the Defence Stores Department to its limits as it equipped the New Zealand Contingents to the war in South Africa. From 6 to 21 October 1899, under the direct supervision of the Under-Secretary for Defence, Sir Arthur Percy Douglas, the Defence Storekeeper Captain Anderson and his small staff spent up to 16 hours daily receiving, recording, branding and then dispatching all manner of essential items to the assembled Contingent at Karori Camp.

Clothing for a New Zealand Contingent being distributed at the Defence Stores, Wellington. Auckland Libraries Heritage Images Collection

The Defence Stores were located at the Military reserve in Wellingtons Mount Cook, then known as Alexandra Barracks. The Stores buildings were old and not fit for purpose as they leaked and were cold and draughty. The hours worked by the Defence Stores Staff and the poor infrastructure took it’s toll on the Staff of the Defence Stores.

Scene in Mount Cook, Wellington, taken between 1882 and 1931 from Tasman Street, showing Mount Cook Prison/Alexandra Barracks (top, to left). Photographer unidentified.Ref: 1/2-066816-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22855721

On 7 December 1899, the Defence Storekeeper, Captain Sam Anderson, suddenly died. This was at a critical time as the Defence Stores Department, which after years of neglect, was at breaking point due to the mobilisation. Captain James O’Sullivan, a long-time and experienced member of the Defence Stores, succeeded Anderson as acting Defence Storekeeper.

Anderson’s Death was followed by the death of the Assistant Defence Storekeeper, Mr Thomas Henry Sewell, in June 1900. John replaced Sewell.

With further contingents sent to South Africa, the pace of work at the Defence Stores did not lessen. Despite his disability, John had a robust constitution. Still, the strain of long hours and a poor working environment took a toll on his system, leading to an attack of acute pneumonia, and after four days of illness, John died on 20 December 1902 at the age of forty-six.

John’s death was unfortunate for his family and placed them in a dire financial position. Having lost one of his legs, John was ineligible for life insurance and could not join a Friendly Society. His salary was so small that it prevented him from making adequate provisions for his family’s future. To make ends meet, Mary attempted to find work but illness and hospitalisation requiring surgery incapacitated her further. Some relief was found when she partitioned the Premier and the House of Representatives for assistance on two occasions. Her petitions were supported by John’s long service and supporting statements from prominent Defence Department and Government members. The Under Secretary of Defence stated to the House that John “was highly valued as a most efficient Clerk and thoroughly zealous and painstaking officer by his immediate superiors.” Also assisting Mary in her petitions were several articles in the press that highlighted the poor working conditions in the Defence Stores and how those poor conditions had contributed to the poor health of many of the Defence Stores staff. Mary’s petitions were successful, and she was granted two grants, each of €50 (2021 NZ$9,319.35).

Considering John’s service, when Mary decided to relocate her family to Woolston in Christchurch in 1903, the Minister of Railways covered the expenses for her household removal from Wellington to Christchurch.

A wide circle of friends deeply regretted John’s death. As a tribute to their departed friend, they covered the costs of erecting a memorial stone at John’s grave in the Karori Cemetery.

Defence Stores

Notes

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Consolidation after Imperial Withdrawal

Legislative and Financial Setting

Store Department Establishment, 1870–71

Personnel Establishment

Departmental Expenses

Total Store Department Vote

District Sub-storekeepers and the Dispersed Store System

Public Accounts and Actual Store Department Expenditure

Arms, Ammunition, Repairs, and Related Defence Expenditure

Arms, Ammunition, and Related Defence Costs, 1870–71

Defence Stores Stock Holdings, August 1870

Arms, Ordnance, and Ammunition in Store

Arms and Ordnance on Issue

Camp Equipment, Implements, and Saddlery

Camp Equipment, Implements, and Saddlery in Store

Camp Equipment, Implements, and Saddlery on Issue

Gorton’s Inspection Circuit

The Albert Barracks Powder Magazine and the Move to Mount Eden

Armourers, Arms Cleaners, and the Control of Rifles

Edward Metcalf Smith and Iron-sand Experiments

Auckland Defence Store

Wellington Defence Stores, Mount Cook

The Joint Committee on Colonial Defence

Armed Constabulary Readiness and Local Resources

Volunteers and the Demand for Arms

Harbour Defence and the Limits of Resources

Conclusion

Notes

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Notes

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Notes

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