Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Auckland Provincial District]

Mr. Michael Corcoran

Mr. Michael Corcoran, Old Colonist, was born at Dunmore, Galway, Ireland, in 1834, and educated there. In early life he worked for eleven years at a mill in Roscommon and in 1860 sailed for Australia in the “Eagle,” landing in Melbourne. Three months later he joined the Otago “rush” and was with his brother at Gabriel's Gully. He afterwards engaged in road contracting, then went to the Molyneux, being the first man up the river after the receipt of Messrs. Hartley and Riley's report. He was also at Adam's Gully, Fraser's station, where he stayed for six months and averaged £250 a week. In 1863, Mr. Corcoran took the first hotel (the Galway Arms) on the Dunstan and conducted it for two years. His next move was to Havelock, where he built the theatre and ran a company for some time; the venture proved a most successful one, and he averaged £100 pernight. From Havelock Mr. Corcoran went to Wellington, where he spent eighteen weeks: then he went to Westport and opened a store, which he carried on for twelve months. The Charleston “rush” saw him again on the move, and he sailed a vessel called the “Constant Bay,” with which he made much money, carrying stores to the new fields. In 1868, he left Westport for Auckland and took over the Greyhound Hotel, in which three previous landlords had failed in one year. Like all his undertakings this turned out page 429 successful, for he conducted the hotel for ten years, taking £10,000 per annum. Selling out in 1878, Mr. Corcoran took the Thames Hotel, from which he sold out three weeks later for £5470. His next venture was the old “Metropolitan,” where he stayed for two years, and then sold out for £3000. Mr. Cor-coran bought the Star and Garter Hotel at Coromandel, which was burnt down in the great fire and was replaced by a very fine large house. During the building of the Calliope Dock, he run the Flagstaff Hotel at the North Shore, and on selling out from there took over the Northern Wairoa Hotel at Dargaville. Mr. Corcoran new lives in retirement at Pa Road, Mount Roskill, Auckland.