WILLIS, ALEXANDER JAMES (1827-1910) was born in Cape Colony. He moved with his parents to Tasmania (1831), and was educated at Hobart. In 1840 he was appointed clerk in the Office of the Controller-General of Convicts. The Victorian diggings in 1852 attracted him, and he was afterwards for two years superintendent of the convict hulk at Melbourne. Coming to Otago in 1861, he entered the office of the provincial secretary and became resident magistrate and goldfields warden, residing at Dunedin. In 1878 he joined the Land Tax department of the General Government, transferring to Wellington in 1881. He was secretary to the cabinet from 1885 to 1909. Willis married (1871) Amelia Anne, daughter of the Rev T. D. Nicholson (Nelson). He died on 28 Sep 1910.

Cycl. N.Z., i (p); Who's Who N.Z., 1908; N.Z. Times, 29 Sep 1910.

Reference: Volume 2, page 262

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