O'REGAN, CORNELIUS JOSEPH (1874-95) was born at Inangahua valley, the son of P. O'Regan, farmer. While attending the Totara Flat school, he early showed ability, winning a scholarship which gave him two years' education at the Greymouth High School. From there he matriculated (1890) after a year's coaching by B. P. McMahon, of the Roman Catholic school at Reefton. O'Regan showed poetic sensibility, thoughtfulness and a love of literature; and at the age of 17 wrote poetry of a high standard, with verbal felicity and truth of feeling. He wrote verse for the Canterbury Times, the Otago Witness and the New Zealand Graphic. In 1894 he published a small booklet, Voices of Wave and Tree, containing verse written between the ages of 16 and 20. In 1894 he became schoolmaster at Inangahua Junction, a task to which he devoted himself with enthusiasm. He died on 7 Sep 1895. Another small collection Poems was published in 1896.

O'Regan was a brother of Patrick Joseph O'Regan (1869-), who was M.H.R. for Inangahua (1893-96) and Buller (1897-99); and was appointed a judge of the Arbitration Court in 1937.

Cycl. N.Z., v (p); Who's Who N.Z., 1908, 1924; O'Regan, op. cit. (port. in Poems); N.Z. Times, 9 Sep 1895.

Reference: Volume 2, page 71

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