James Holmes

James Holmes (26 January 1831 – 17 April 1910) was a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council from Hokitika on the West Coast. Early life Holmes was born at Brighton, Sussex, England on 26 January 1831. He trained as a painter and left for Australia in 1852 to join the Victorian gold rush. He mined for gold in Forest Creek (now known as Castlemaine), Bendigo, and Ballarat. From 1855 to 1860, he had a painting and paperhanging business in Geelong. Life in New Zealand In 1861, Holmes moved to Dunedin to set up his business there. He returned to Geelong briefly to bring his wife and children to New Zealand. In July 1865, he relocated his family and business to Hokitika. Holmes bought the Okuku water race at Kumara in 1880 and sold it after 20 years. He was part of the consortium that installed the second battery in Reefton. He served on the Hokitika Harbour Board, the Hokitika High School Board, the Licensing Bench, the Hokitika Borough council, and other public bodies. He was captain of the Fire Brigade, vice-president of the Hokitika Savings Bank, and was a Justice of the Peace since the early 1880s.