Arthur William MULLIGAN

Gone but not forgotten

This article draws heavily on the work of Andrew Fieldsend, to whom our thanks.

Arthur was born in Dunedin in 1884. He was the third child of James Mulligan and Agnes Simpson, immigrants from Ulster and Edinburgh respectively. Both of Arthur's parents died young, leaving a large family without parents. Arthur was in his late teens by this time and already working.

Arthur had a long and distinguished career as a public servant. Starting out as a post office messenger boy at Dunedin in 1899,[1] he worked his way up to being relieving Post Master at Riverton by 1915.[2] By this time, he was married to Invercargill woman Florence Ross and had two daughters, the first two of five children.

He was clearly displaying skills that were valued in the public service because, in 1916, the family moved to Wellington so that Arthur could take up a position as private secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, William MacDonald.[3] Two years later, he became private secretary to the Minister for Lands, and held this position for 20 years, serving successive Ministers:

  • David Guthrie[4],
  • Alex McLeod[5],
  • Kenneth Williams[6],
  • George Forbes (who in later years would become Prime Minister[7],
  • Alfred Ransom[8],
  • and finally Fred Langstone.[9].

During these years, Arthur travelled around New Zealand extensively with his Ministers, and became familiar with communities, particularly rural communities, from one end of the country to the other.

Arthur also travelled on at least two overseas delegations. In 1936 he visited Samoa on a month-long goodwill mission with Minister Langstone, their wives accompanying them.[10][11] He also visited Australia with Minister McLeod in 1927 to represent New Zealand at the opening of the Commonwealth Parliament Buildings and carry out a trade mission to Sydney and Melbourne.[12]

When George Forbes, Arthur's Minister, was called to form a new Government in 1930, Arthur travelled with him to meet the Governor-General.[13]

On many occasions, Arthur acted as private secretary to the acting Prime Minister, secretary to the Cabinet or Clerk of the Executive Council.[14][15][16] In 1930, while acting as private secretary for Prime Minister Forbes, he assisted in the first wireless telephone call between New Zealand and Australia, supporting Sir Apirana Ngata.[17]

Arthur was acting as clerk of the Executive Council in 1935 at the State Opening of Parliament and, as such, took a prominent role in proceedings, standing on the podium with the Governor-General, the Chief Justice, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries.[18] (see image)

In 1938, Arthur was awarded a CBE for his services. In the same year, he was appointed General Secretary of the New Zealand Centenary Commission.[19] In this new role, he further toured the country, helping to establish centennial committees in numerous towns and localities and organising nationwide celebrations.

War broke out in 1939 and, by this time, Arthur's children were old enough to serve. His oldest son, William, fought with the army in the Pacific. His twin sons, Keith and Robert, both became pilots: Keith in the Pacific and Robert in Europe. Sadly, Robert was lost in action over Europe in 1940.[20]

In 1940, with the Centennial Commission wrapped up, Arthur took over as Executive Officer of the EPS Division of the National Service Department.[21]

He retired from the public service, but his involvement in organising the centennial celebrations led to a new appointment, managing the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi:

TRIBUTES PAID

LONG PUBLIC SERVICE

After 43 years in the Public Service, Mr. A. W. Mulligan will retire at the end of, this month. For a number of years Mr. Mulligan was a member of the Ministerial secretarial corps and was appointed general secretary of the Centennial organisation set up by the Department of Internal Affairs.

At a gathering representative of several branches of the Public Service, in Parliament House yesterday afternoon tribute was paid to Mr. Mulligan's services by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr. Parry), and the Under-Secretary of Internal Affairs (Mr. J. W. Heenan).

Mr. Parry presented Mr. Mulligan with an appropriately inscribed set of the principal Centennial publications, and on behalf of the Department of Internal Affairs and Centennial staffs, he presented both Mr. and Mrs. Mulligan with travelling bags.

Mr. Mulligan has been appointed assistant manager of the Waitangi estate under the Waitangi Trust Board. It was a wrench for him, he said, to sever so long a connection with the Public Service and the officers with whom he had been happily associated. He recognised the responsibilities of the new position he would fill. He was deeply interested in Waitangi and all that it signified. The work the position entailed would be in keeping with the feeling he had for a place so historic in New Zealand.[22]

He held this position until 1944 when he and Florence retired to Russell.[23]

Farewells To Treaty House Custodian

(Special.) PAIHIA, This Day. Two public farewells were extended last week to Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Mulligan, of Waitangi, who are leaving to take up their residence in Russell. Mr. Mulligan has for two years past been supervisor of the Waitangi National Trust Board's memorial properties.

A Maori function was held on Tuesday evening at Waitangi, when representatives of the native race spoke appreciatively of Mr. Mulligan’s work as guardian and interpreter of their national meeting-house. More than 100 residents of Paihia attended a valedictory given Mr. and Mrs. Mulligan in the Paihia cinema hall on Thursday evening. A presentation of money and gifts obtained by popular subscription was made by Mr. H. Ludbrook, who spoke of the work Mr. Mulligan had done as custodian of the Treaty House and its adjacent memorials.

Mrs. Mulligan, to whom Miss Betty Rose presented a bouquet, was included in the tributes paid and good wishes extended for the future.[24]

During his retirement at Russell, Arthur continued to contribute to the community, employed as secretary of a firm of launch proprietors, and later standing for election to the Bay of Islands Harbour Board and acting as its secretary until at least 1948.[25][26][27][28] He was also a member of the Russell Town Board, and its chair from 1944 to 1946.[29]

In 1948, Arthur and Florence moved to Martinborough, where his daughter Roma and son Keith lived. He was a member of the Martinborough Borough Council for two terms, secretary of the Martinborough Little Theatre Society, for 10 years secretary of the local school committee, and vice-president of Martinborough Cricket Club. [30]

Throughout his adult life, Arthur was actively associated with the Anglican Church and the Masonic Lodge, reaching the rank of Master in the latter organisation.[31]

The basis of Mr Mulligan's long and successful career, both as a public servant and in other positions, lay in his cheerful exercise of tact, courtesy, diplomacy and patience, combined with a great capacity for hard work.[32]

Arthur died on 10 May 1967 at Martinborough. His ashes were scattered near Pio Pio in the Waikato (on the farm of his son Ross). He is, however, remembered with a plaque in Puruatanga Road Cemetery, Martinborough, alongside those for his son Keith, and wife Florence, in the plot holding Keith's wife, June Olive (see the Image Gallery below).

Sources

  1. [1] Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 130, 26 February 1938, Page 10.
  2. [2] Western Star, 30 March 1915, Page 2.
  3. [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_MacDonald_(New_Zealand_politician)
  4. [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Guthrie_(New_Zealand_politician)
  5. [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_McLeod_(politician)
  6. [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Williams_(politician)
  7. [7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Forbes_(New_Zealand_politician)
  8. [8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Ransom
  9. [9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Langstone
  10. [10] Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21852, 4 August 1936, Page 14.
  11. [11] Wairarapa Daily Times, 4 August 1936, Page 6.
  12. [12] New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19623, 29 April 1927, Page 12..
  13. [13] New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20572, 24 May 1930, Page 12.
  14. [14] Obituary, Evening Post (Wellington), 11 May 1967, page 19.
  15. [15] Star (Christchurch), Issue 19169, 8 September 1930, Page 9.
  16. [16] Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 212, 8 September 1930, Page 9.
  17. [17] Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7392, 27 November 1930, Page 5.
  18. [18] Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1935, Page 11.
  19. [19] Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 47, 25 February 1938, Page 10.
  20. [20] Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 141, 11 December 1940, Page 11.
  21. [21] Obituary, Evening Post (Wellington), 11 May 1967, page 19.
  22. [22] Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 71, 25 March 1942, Page 4.
  23. [23] Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 26, 1 February 1944, Page 4.
  24. [24] Northern Advocate, 1 February 1944, Page 5.
  25. [25] Obituary, Evening Post (Wellington), 11 May 1967, page 19.
  26. [26] Northern Advocate, 23 May 1944, Page 7.
  27. [27] Northern Advocate, 16 May 1947, Page 4.
  28. [28] Northern Advocate, 23 June 1948, Page 4.
  29. [29] Obituary, Evening Post (Wellington), 11 May 1967, page 19.
  30. [30] Obituary, Evening Post (Wellington), 11 May 1967, page 19.
  31. [31] Obituary, Evening Post (Wellington), 11 May 1967, page 19.
  32. [32] Obituary, Evening Post (Wellington), 11 May 1967, page 19.

Image Gallery









Grandsons Trevor & Dennis Mulligan, and Philip & Ross Harris talk about their grand-father, AW, and grand-mother, Florence Mulligan: