Joseph Dominic McQuilkin (bef. 1888 - bef. 1929)

Born before 23 Mar 1888 in Hau Hau, Hokitika, Westland, New Zealand.

Ancestors

Died before 16 Jan 1929 at about age 40 in Westport, Buller, New Zealand

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Biography

Joseph was born about 1888. He was the son of John McQuilkin and Mary Sweeney. He died in Westport in 1929.

The seventh of ten children to whom Mary (born Sweeney) gave birth, Joseph was born in Hokitika, probably early in 1888 and was Baptised in St Mary's Catholic Church 23 March 1888. His parents, Mary and John McQuilkin came to New Zealand From County Antrim, Ireland - John grew up on a small farm at East Torr and Mary was from Torr Head where her father was a member of the Coast Guard. Joseph was raised on a small farm in the Hau Hau overlooking Hokitika.

Religion: Roman Catholic.

St Joseph’s School in Kanieri appears not to have opened until after Joseph and his siblings were all past Primary School age. The Catholic Church was not built in Kanieri until 1910. Prior to that the children would have had to walk several miles to St Mary’s Parish Primary School (opened 1878) in Hokitika where they were taught by the Sisters of Mercy. On Sunday the family would have had to walk the same distance to St Mary’s Church, Hokitika (opened 1865) to attend the Sunday Service. It is not known if and is unlikely that any of the family in Joseph's generation would have had a High School Education.

Occupation

The 1914 NZ Electoral roll records Joseph (about 26 years old) as living in Greymouth and working as a coal miner at Rewanui. Coal mining was probably an essential industry at the time and there were medical and height and weight requirements any of which may be why Joseph did not join the ranks of those who served in the armed forces during WW1. His brother, James Edward, was a rifleman in the Army. Also in 1914, the Greymouth Evening Star, 24 April, page 2, has Joseph working at the new State Liverpool Mine, 20 km north east of Greymouth, after just leaving the Paparoa mine.^[1] He was also one of the original directors of the Grey River Argus Co. John McQuilkin, roadman for the Westland County and father of Joseph and James, died in June 1915 at age 78 years.

Political Activities
^[2] It seems unlikely that Joseph would not have been in communication with his brother James Edward (only about 2 years older) who was the Secretary of the Labour Party in Hokitika in 1920. When Mr P.C. Webb, former Labour MP for the Grey District, returned to Greymouth in September 1919, Labour party members reported as being on stage with Mr Webb and J. O’Brien in the Opera House included the name McQuilkin with no initials. The meeting was about the fight for freedom of conscientious objectors who had recently been released from a term of imprisonment. “Mr McQuilkin said that he endorsed all that had been said by other speakers and on behalf of the Miners’ Union welcomed Mr Webb and his other friends back to their homes.”
^[3]

Either Joseph was a member of the Labour Party as well as President of the Miner’s Union and would have been aware of James being the Secretary, or both brothers, James and Joseph, were at this meeting. In either case there would have been some connection between them. The Grey River Argus, 15 December 1919, page 3, records that Mr Holland, during his electoral campaign, addressed a crowded meeting at Blackball. Mr J McQuilkin, President of the Miners’ Union was in the chair. Joseph McQuilkin signed Mr H. E. Holland’s nomination paper for the general election. Less than a year later the Grey River Argus, 08 October, 1920, page 2, records the resignation of Mr J McQuilkin from the position of President of the Blackball Miners’ Union. “Mr McQuilkin has held the position with great credit to himself for a number of years.” The Hokitika Guardian, 29 November 1922 reported a Political Address by Labour leader, Mr H. Holland at Hokitika. The vote of thanks was moved by Joseph’s brother, James.

In January 1926 Joseph was elected, with 311 votes to 68, as Chairman of the Blackball-Paparoa Medical Association, B;ackball Medical Club and Blackball Friendly Society ^[4]

In 1927, (Press, Vol LXIII, Issues 18955, 21 March 1927, page 3) the Blackball and Paparoa Miners’ Unions amalgamated and became the Blackball-Paparoa Miners’ Union. Mr McQuilkin was elected as Vice-President. The Christchurch Press^[5] records that J McQuilkin was elected as President of the West Coast Miners’ District Council. The 1928 Electoral Roll – Buller, West Coast, records J McQuilkin as a coal miner in Blackball. He was elected as President of pictures for the Blackball Miner’s Union in August 1928.

Death
Five months later, at age 41 years, 14 January 1929, Joseph suffered a heart attack and subsequently died of pneumonia in the Westport Hospital, Buller, West Coast, New Zealand. Joseph's death was mentioned in the Southland Times on 17 January 1929 in Southland, New Zealand^[6] and in the Christchurch Press, 16 January 1929, page14. ^[7] Obituary
The Press Vol LXV, Issue 19519, 16 January 1929, page 14 noted in his obituary that Joseph was unmarried and had been one of the original directors of the Grey River Argus Co. Joseph was buried in the Catholic section of the Westport Middle Orowaiti Cemetery, Plot E558. His headstone seems to have been erected by his friend C.L. Jowers, a member of RNZAF and who was working on the West Coast at the time of the Murchison earthquake.

Buried 1929 Orowaiti Cemetery, Westport, Buller, West Coast, New Zealand. Age: 40.

Sources

1. ↑ 1914 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
   Greymouth Evening Star, 24 April 1914, Page 2
   Papers Past Article (accessed 6 October 2023)
2. ↑ 1922 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
   Greymouth Evening Star, 16 September 1922, Page 5
   Papers Past Article (accessed 6 October 2023)
3. ↑ Greymouth Evening Star, 29 September 1919
4. ↑ 1926 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
   Greymouth Evening Star, 30 January 1926, Page 4
   Papers Past Article (accessed 6 October 2023)
5. ↑ "The Press", Vol LXIV, Issue 19344, 23 June 1928, page 19, West Coast Notes
6. ↑ "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
   Southland Times, Issue 20695, 17 January 1929, Page 6
   Papers Past Article (accessed 21 January 2023)
7. ↑ 1929 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
   Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19519, 16 January 1929, Page 14
   Papers Past Article (accessed 6 October 2023)

1. Joseph McQuilkin

• New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1881-1935

Residence: 1911 - Buller, West Coast, New Zealand

2. Joseph McQuilkin

• New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1881-1935

Residence: 1925 - Buller, West Coast, New Zealand

3. Joseph Mcquilkin

• New Zealand, Index of Burials, 1840-2008

Burial: 1929 - Orowaiti Cemetery, Westport, Buller, West Coast, New Zealand

4. *BillionGraves Publication: Joseph McQuilkin; Death: Jan 1929; Burial: Orowaiti Middle Cemetery, Westport, West Coast, New Zealand. Event: Record Role: 10147:64257490:

5.* Last Will and Testament of Mary McQuilkin 23 day of August 1927. Names her son as Joseph Dominic.