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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Auckland Provincial District]

Foreign Consuls

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Foreign Consuls.

Foreign Consuls.

The foreign Consuls in Auckland are not now (1900) so numerous as they were in former days. Hawaii, for instance, has not been represented in this way since its practical annexation by the United States of America. The Chilian consulate, too, has ceased to exist, and for some time Italy has had no consular officer in the city. Doubtless when occasion calls, consular business on behalf of Italy is managed from other centres, or by the resident Consul of some friendly European Power. Consuls are not always subjects of the countries they represent, nor are they always, even when subjects, specially sent from their native or adopted country. In many cases, they are citizens of the country in which they hold consulships, and are generally commercial or professional men of good standing. They are charged with various definite duties, such as upholding the rights, interests, and privileges of subjects of the country they represent, assisting such subjects when they are in distress, and keeping their Governments informed concerning such commercial or other matters, knowledge of which is likely to be of advantage to them. The countries which at present have consular representatives in Auckland are the United States of America, Germany, Austria-Hungary, France, Belgium, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

Herr Eugene Langguth, Consul for the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was born in the South of Germany, and educated for commercial life. After occupying several positions as a clerk in Germany, he went to England, where he joined his old friend, Herr Carl Seegner. They both arrived in Auckland in 1884, and founded the present firm of Messrs Seegner, Langguth and Co., merchants and importers. Her Langguth was appointed to his present position in 1897, and during his temporary absence in Europe, his duties were fulfilled by the German Consul.

Mr. John Burns, who was appointed Counsul for Belgium at Auckland in 1898, is well known as resident managing partner of the large hardware firm that bears his name. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and brought up to mercantile life. For a considerable time he was in business in his native city, and retired in 1867. Fifteen years later he went into business in London as one of the founders of the associated firms of Brown. Douglas and Co., and Wingate, Burns and Co. Since November, 1885, he has been personally identified with the mercantile life of New Zealand, and has resided in Auckland, except during the year 1896, when he was in London. Mr. Burns has been an active member of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, of which he was chairman in 1898 and 1900.

Mr. Eduard Valdemar Johansen, Chief Danish Consul in the Colony of New Zealand, and Vice-Consul for Sweden and Norway, is well known in Auckland. His offices are situated in Mining Chambers, Queen Street, and are fitted up with sample and show-rooms for Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian goods. Mr. Johansen was born at Copenhagen in 1853, and is a son of Kammerraad J. P. Johansen. He was educated for the navy and enlisted in the Danish service; for some eleven years he followed a seafaring life, partly in the navy and partly in the merchant service, his rank being lieutenant in the former and captain in the latter. He came to this Colony in 1882, having previously been for some four years secretary to the Danish Consul at Liverpool. On arrival at Auckland, Mr. Johansen entered the counting-house of Messrs. Brown, Barrett and Co., as accountant and confidential clerk, and, after fourteen years in that position, severed his connection with the firm to enter into business on his own account. He was appointed Consul in Auckland, in succession to Mr. F. Kummer, on the 26th of July, 1886, Consul for the North Island in 1893, and Chief Consul for the Colony on the 29th of November, 1894. He is agent for the Danish Exporters' Association. Mr. Johansen, who is decidedly popular and very highly respected, holds a Knighthood in the Order of Franz Joseph I., conferred upon him by the Emperor of Austria. He was initiated into the Masonic Order in Liverpool, as a member of Prince Arthur Lodge, No. 1570, E.C., and is a Past Master Mason of Lodge Ponsonby, No. 54, N.Z.C.; he also takes an interest in pastimes generally. Mr. Johansen was married in 1878 to Miss M. Ramson, daughter of Mr. Hugh White Maynard Ramson, accountant, of Manchester, England, and has three sons.

Mr. George Dunnet, Junior, who in 1899 succeeded Mr. Ambrose Millar as Vice-Consul for France, was born at sea in the year 1849, on board the barque “Vesta,” off the Cape of Good Hope, whilst the vessel was making her voyage from Glasgow to Australia. Mr. Dunnet is the eldest son of Mr. George Dunnet, formerly of Thurso, Caithness, Scotland
Mr. G Dunnet, Junr.

Mr. G Dunnet, Junr.

page 113 but who for the last quarter of a century has been resident of Auckland. He was educated at the Scotch College, Melbourne, and about 1866 came to Auckland and obtained employment with the firm of Hunter and Co. Subsequently he joined the well-known Island traders, Messrs Henderson and Macfarlane, and is now the firm's resident partner in Auckland. In 1875, Mr. Dunnet was despatched by the firm to the South Seas as supercargo in one of its Circular Saw line of vessels, and was eventually chosen as its agent. During his residence in the Southern Pacific, he was appointed by the firm of W. and A. McArthur and Co., of London, as its representative at Samoa, and retained the position until 1893, when the firm disposed of its interests. Mr. Dunnet then re-joined his old employers as a partner. During his residence in Samoa he was elected a member of the Council appointed by the Tripartite Powers under the Berlin Treaty of 1889. He was chosen to be the first chairman of the council, and continued to be a member until the arrival of the first President appointed under the Treaty, Count Senfft von Pilsach. Mr. Dunnet is an enthusiastic supporter of rowing, swimming and football. He was long a keen and capable exponent of the Rugby game of football, and was captain of the Auckland representatives, who toured the colony in 1875. Mr. Dunnet is at present (1900) vice-president of the Auckland Amateur Athletic Association.
Herr Carl Seegner, the Imperial German Consul, is a gentleman who has visited many lands, and has had an extensive mereantile experience. Born in 1848 in the south of Germany, where he was educated and trained for a commercial life, Herr Seegner left the Fatherland at the age of eighteen, and for some three years was engaged in a mercantile house in Paris. After a year of similar occupation in London, he was employed by a large railway firm, and the following seven years were spent at Monte Video and Buenos Ayres, South America, where he had the financial charge of important railway constructions. Returning to London in 1877. Herr Seegner was engaged in England and Scotland until 1884, when he came to Auckland and established the firm of Seegner, Langguth and Co., general merchants and importers. When the position of German Consul became vacant in 1892, through the departure of Mr. Herman Brown, Herr Seegner was appointed to the consulship. Since his appointment, he has visited Europe via Australia, Java, and India, making brief stays at no fewer than eighty-eight cities and towns. Herr Seegner is president of the German Club, and was for many years a member of the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Further particulars concerning Herr Seegner's firm will be found in another article.
Mr. Ambrose Millar, Vice-Consul for the Netherlands, has extensive premises in Firth's Buildings. Albert Street, Auckland. Mr. Millar was born of English parents: his father was Mr. John Graham Millar, flax merchant, of Belgium. He was educated at Rotterdam. and after travelling over the whole European continent was appointed to the charge of that branch of his father's business. Mr. Millar came to the Colony in 1890 in the s.s. “Rimutaka,” and, after spending a considerable time in looking round and gaining information, took a trip to England and the Continent, stopping for a time in all the principal countries of Europe. On returning to Auckland he established the firm of Messrs. A Millar and Co., importers and general merchants. Since settling in Auckland, Mr. Millar has made many
Mr. A. Millar.

Mr. A. Millar.

page 114 friends, and in 1895 was married to Miss Banbury, daughter of Mr. John Banbury, one of Auckland's best known mining agents.

Mr. Henry Rees George, who has acted as Vice-Consul for Portugal since 1885, has long been well known in shipping circles in Auckland. He was born in England in 1844, and spent five years in London in the office of his father, who was a solicitor. Mr. George arrived in Auckland, in 1862, by the ship “William Miles,” and after some years of general colonial experience in New Zealand, was an officer of the Bank of New South Wales for five years. In 1873 he commenced business as an insurance and commission agent in Auckland. His shipping business is transacted under the style of J. A. Barber and Co. Since 1886 Mr. George has represented the Thames and Mersey Marine Insurance Company in Auckland, and has been district agent for the Sun Fire Office of London since 1898. He was married, in 1875, to a daughter of Mr. Joseph Arthur Barber, late of Auckland, and has two sons and two daughters.

Mr. Frank Dillingham, Consul for the United States of America, has his office at 204 Queen Street, Auckland.

Late Consuls.

Mr. Robert Rose, sometime Consul for Italy, has had no successor in the Consulate since his death, which took place in April, 1900. Mr. Rose was well-known in mining circles as legal manager of the Waihi Gold Mining Company, Limited, and of several other gold mining companies.

Mr. John D'Arcy Connolly, late United States Consul in and for the Colony of New Zealand, was appointed to the post in 1889, and retired when the Republicans came into power after the election of President McKinley in March, 1897. Mr. Connolly is a son of the late Mr. Daniel, Connolly, and was born at Clifton, County Galway, Ireland, in 1854. At a very early age he accompanied his parents to New York, where he was educated at the public schools, and in due course became a railway engineer and contractor. In 1874 he left for Pennsylvania, where he took part in the construction of the Lehigh and Susquehanna railway, and a year later was engaged as an engineer on the construction of the North Pacific railway from San Francisco to Duncan Mills. Mr. Connolly withdrew from his profession in 1889, when he received his commission to represent the United States of America in this Colony, and took up his headquarters at Auckland, where he soon made himself very popular. In 1893, when he left, on sick leave, on a visit to the United States, he was presented with several addresses, expressive of the good wishes of various sections of the community, including leading citizens, Friendly Societies (representing 5000 members), local Irish residents, the women of Auckland, and the Tailoresses' Union. In four months the dry sunny climate of California so far restored Mr. Connolly's health, that he was able to return to his consular duties. While he was in San Francisco Mr. Connolly delivered several lectures on New Zealand, and these were well received by the people of that city. Before entering the consular service, Mr. Connolly had, for about four years, been a member of the Board of Supervisors of Senima County. The board is the highest elective body of the county, and has full control in all county matters. He resigned his position on the 31st of December, 1888, and was appointed consul for New Zealand by Mr. Grover Cleveland, during his first term as President of the United States. Mr. Connolly continued to satisfactorily represent his country during the administration of Mr. Harrison and Mr. Cleveland's second term. He was married in 1878 to Miss Blaney, daughter of Mr. Andrew J. Blaney, of Occidental, a town in Senima County, California, and has a family of three daughters.