COX, ALFRED (1825-1911), was born at Clarendon, New South Wales, the son of William Cox, who came to the Mother Colony in 1788 as a captain in the 102nd Regiment, retired from the army and became a prosperous settler. Alfred received his education at the King's School at Parramatta. As a pupil he was present at the funeral of Samuel Marsden (1837). Cox records that he was taught music by Samuel Wallace, bandmaster of the 17th Regiment, and father of William Vincent Wallace (q.v.). At the first concert that he attended young Wallace played on both piano and violin. Cox became an accomplished musician. In 1844, with the consent of his guardians, he paid a visit to England and to improve his knowledge of farming he stayed on a farm in Northamptonshire. In Ireland he saw the intense distress of the peasantry during the potato famine (1846).

Returning to Melbourne (1847) Cox found many Tasmanians taking up the cheap runs offering in the Western District. On 26 Nov he married a daughter of Lieutenant-colonel Macpherson, of the 99th Regiment. Being now settled on the property in New South Wales, he made many trips out west. In 1854, at Newcastle, he met John Sidey, who was making large profits by shipping stock from Australia to New Zealand and selling to the owners of the new stations in Canterbury. Cox later met in Sydney one of the firm of Francis and Muter, from whom he purchased licenses to occupy two grazing runs, then unstocked. Getting together a quantity of stock, he took his passage in the Admiral Grenfell (1854), arranged temporary grazing near Christchurch and made another trip. He now had 3,000 sheep, 350 cattle and 40 or 50 horses. In company with Healey and W. Du Moulin he drove to the run, which he named Raukapuka, left Du Moulin in charge and returned to Australia, where he witnessed the first session of the General Assembly. It was three years before Cox saw his property again. In 1854 he was returned as having 826 sheep on 20,000 acres; three years later he had 2,600 on 60,000 acres.

In 1855 Cox and his family paid a visit to England and on returning to New Zealand he decided to stay in the colony. The homestead was built in 1860 at the foot of the Raukapuka bush. At the first stock show (1859) Cox won commendation for his fine-woolled sheep. Eventually he freeholded 1,500 acres at 10s an acre and, having made an excellent profit by fattening 2,000 merinos in time for the Otago diggings, he purchased another 2,000 acres at 42s 6d an acre.

As a public man the treatment meted out to the settlers of south Canterbury brought him into prominence. In 1862 he was elected for the Geraldine seat in the Provincial Council. Though he hated the idea of separation, it seemed to him the only way open to the Timaru settlers to get control of their own money. In 1863 he was elected to the General Assembly for Heathcote. In Feb 1864 he was elected a member and chairman of the first Geraldine road board. His parliamentary duties increasing, he resigned in 1865 from the Provincial Council and in 1866 was elected to the General Assembly for Timaru. In 1866 and 1867 he presented three petitions asking for self-government, and at length got a favourable recommendation from the House. In Sep 1867 he obtained the passage of a bill for the establishment of the Timaru and Gladstone board of works, and a month later he was elected a member of the first board.

Meanwhile Cox had become interested in the prospects of settlement in the North Island. During 1867 he paid a visit by way of Hawkes Bay to the native land in the interior. In 1869, having accomplished his main task in Parliament, he resigned the Timaru seat, and next year he sold a large portion of his property. During 1870-71 he was again in the Provincial Council as member for Papanui. In 1873, in company with James Williamson (Auckland), he visited Waikato to inspect a property which Williamson had purchased through the government. He invested a large amount in land in the Thames district which called for much outlay on draining, and he resided in the Waikato for the next seven years. In 1876-78 he was again in Parliament as member for Waipa. His land venture turned out a costly failure and in 1882 he sold out and returned to Christchurch, where he passed his remaining years. He contested the Geraldine seat in 1884.

In 1884 Cox published an interesting volume of Recollections and two years later a biographical dictionary entitled Men of Mark in New Zealand. Cox died in St Albans on 23 May 1911.

Canterbury P.C. Proc.; Hansard, pass.; Cox, op. cit.; Godley, Letters; Acland; Lyttelton Times, 24 May 1911; The Press, 11 Oct 1930 (P). Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 1, page 107

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