James Job Holland

James Job Holland (1841 – 31 August 1922) was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in Auckland, New Zealand, and the mayor of Auckland from 1893 to 1896.

James Job Holland
13th Mayor of Auckland City
In office 20 December 1893 – 16 December 1896
Preceded by	William Crowther
Succeeded by	Abraham Boardman
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for City of Auckland
In office 4 December 1896 – 6 December 1899
Preceded by	Charles Button
Succeeded by	William Joseph Napier
Personal details
Born	1841 Leicester, England
Died	31 August 1922(1922-08-31) (aged 80–81) Auckland, New Zealand
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Agnes Melvin MacKenzie ​ ​ (m. 1864)​

Biography

Early life

Born in Leicester, England, Holland trained as a builder under his father before emigrating to New Zealand in 1860,^[1][2] settling in Auckland in 1864 after spending time in the Otago gold fields and serving as a sergeant with the Militia in the Waikato during the New Zealand Wars. He established a building and contracting business, and was prominent in many civic and charitable bodies in Auckland.^[3] He was a member of Manchester Unity, an Oddfellow and a Freemason.^[4] In 1864, Holland married Agnes Melvin MacKenzie, daughter of Duncan MacKenzie, of Glasgow, and the couple went on to have three daughters and three sons.^{[citation needed]} In 1900, Holland was president of the Auckland Builders and Contractors Union of Employers.^[1]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament

Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1896–1899	13th	City of Auckland			Liberal

In 1886, Holland was elected as city councillor for the city's Eastern Ward. He also served two terms on the Auckland Harbour Board and was for some years a member of the Hospital Board. Later, in 1893 he was elected Mayor of Auckland City serving for three years.^[4]

He was elected to the City of Auckland multi-member electorate in 1896, but was defeated in 1899.^[5] He was also defeated in a 1900 by-election after the death of the sitting member William Crowther by Joseph Witheford, despite being endorsed by Seddon.^[6]

Upon defeat, Holland was subsequently appointed as a Government trustee to the Auckland Savings Bank. He also served as the chairman of the committee of St. John Ambulance Association.^[4]

Building career

Holland had a distinguished career as a builder and worked with architects such as Edward Mahoney and Edward Bartley. Some notable buildings he built are the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle, St Benedict's Church, Newton, and the Shakespeare Hotel.^[1]

Death

Holland died at his home in Auckland on 31 August 1922,^[4] and was buried at Purewa Cemetery.^[7]