Title: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]

Author: Cyclopedia Company Limited

Publication details: The Cyclopedia Company, Limited, 1905, Christchurch

Part of: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence

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Mr. Edmund Giblett Allen , who represents Chalmers in the House of Representatives, was born in Somersetshire, England, and came in 1863 to New Zealdand from Tasmania, where he had resided for ten years. After a few years' residence in Canterbury. Mr. Allen became engaged in railway contracts; first, on the Wellington-Hutt railway, and subsequently, in partnership with Mr. Kingstreet. he constructed the railway between Waipukurau and Takapau. In 1875 the firm constructed the railway between Sawyer's Bay and the Purakanui tunnel. Since the compietion of that contract Mr. Allen has resided at Port Chalmers, and has devoted his energies to the development of the Port Chalmers stone trade. He holds large interests in the Port Chalmers quarries, and also carries on pastoral and agrioultural pursuits on his farm in the Dunback district. Mr. Allen has always taken an actve part in public affairs. He was elected Mayor of Port Chalmers in 1884, and held office continuously for ten years. In 1893 page 83 he entered into the higher arena of politics by standing for Chalmers, but was defeated by Mr. J. A. Millar, by a small majority. Mr. Allen was re-elected Mayor of Port Chalmers in 1895. In 1896 he was elected by a large majority for Waikouaiti, when he defeated the previous member and three others. He was again elected in 1899 by the same district, with a majority of 332 over his opponent, Mr. J. White, solicitor. By the alterations of the electoral boundaries in 1902, the new Chalmers district included Chalmers, Otago Peninsula, North-East Valley, Musselburgh, and West Harbour; for this electorate Mr. Allen and Mr. John White were again pitted against each other, and Mr. Allen was returned by a majority of 612 votes. The Otago Dock Trust, of which Mr. Allen has been chairman for fifteen years, is one of the most important institutions in Port Chalmers, and has, in addition to its dry-docking business, somewhat extersive freezing works, which were established through Mr. Allen's advocacy. Mr. Allen has been continuously a member of the Otago Harbour Board since 1888, as one of the representatives of Port Chalmers. He has been chairman of the Port Chalmers District High School Committee, and president of various athletic clubs. Mr. Allen is married, and has one daughter and three sons. The eldest son is director of the School of Mines at Coromandel, the second, Dr Allen, B.Sc., is assistant superintendent of the Seacliff Asylum, and the youngest is an associate of the Otago School of Mines.