MOSS, FREDERICK JOSEPH (1829-1904) was born at St Helena and educated at the head school of the East India Company (then holding jurisdiction over the island). Going as a youth to the office of a relative in Port Elizabeth (South Africa), he did burgher duty in the Kaffir war and visited Natal, Kaffraria and other districts. In 1859 he decided to emigrate to New Zealand and the family arrived at Lyttelton in the Zealandia late in the year.

Moss entered into business there, but on the discovery of gold in Otago (1861) he opened a branch at Dunedin and soon removed there. In 1863 he was first elected to the Provincial Council, in which he sat in 1863-67 for City of Dunedin. He had an exceptionally active career in provincial politics, being a member of the executive on three occasions (1863-64; Apr-Dec 1865; 1866). The first call to take office (as provincial treasurer) was due to the embarrassed state of the finances owing to sudden expenditure in opening up the goldfields and disapproval of New Zealand loans in London. In 1866 his executive was defeated by Vogel, but he was able to hand over to his successor full plans for the construction of railways, with an ordered programme of borrowing for the work as it progressed.

In 1868 Moss was attracted, with many other New Zealanders, to the cotton plantations on the Rewa river in Fiji. Ill-health prevented him remaining there permanently, and by 1873 he was settled in Auckland as secretary to the board of education. In 1876 he was elected to Parliament for Parnell, which he represented until 1890. He was then appointed British resident at the Cook Islands, which had just come under British protection. There he remained for nine years, establishing a federation of the islands in the group, a customs service and schools. He made the teaching of English a leading feature in the belief that a knowledge of the language is essential if the natives are to be able to take part in their own government. His wide knowledge not only of the Cook Islands, but also of the other groups, was of great value to the governments of New Zealand and Great Britain in extending British rule. Moss travelled widely. In 1886 while in the brigantine Buster, he witnessed the rescue of portion of the crew of the Swedish barque Diana on Starbuck island. Being succeeded by Gudgeon in 1899, Moss returned to New Zealand. He published in 1889 a school history of New Zealand and in 1889 Through Atolls and Islands, as well as a number of pamphlets on federation and current political topics. Moss died on 8 Jul 1904.

Otago P.C. Proc.; App. H.R., 1891-1900; Cycl. NZ, ii; Moss, Atolls (p); Hocken, Bibliog.; N.Z. Herald, 5 Jul 1888, 2 Mar 1891, 8 Jul 1904. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 2, page 56

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