REED, GEORGE McCULLAGH (1832-98) was born in County Monaghan, Ireland, and educated at Queen's College, Belfast, where he took several scholarships and graduated B.A. (1856). After being ordained to the ministry of the Presbyterian Church, he spent some time travelling on the Continent, and in 1858 came to Victoria to take charge of the North Melbourne Presbyterian Church. While there he was elected first moderator of the United Presbyterian churches of Victoria. In 1860 Reed took charge of the church at Ipswich, Queensland, and there he married Jessie Chalmers, daughter of John Ranken (squatter and police magistrate). Prompted by a strong interest in social conditions, he resigned from the ministry (1866) and contested the parliamentary seat for Ipswich against the Attorney-general (R. Pring), whom he defeated. His election was petitioned against but upheld, and he sat in the Queensland Parliament until the dissolution (May 1867). In 1870 Reed came to Auckland and started the Evening Star, in which he was joined shortly afterwards by Henry Brett (q.v.). About 1876 he sold his interest to Brett, and accepted the editorship of the Evening News, which had been established in Dunedin to defend the provincial system. In April 1876 he purchased the Otago Guardian. He induced George Fenwick to take a share in this enterprise, and they soon acquired the Otago Daily Times and Otago Witness, in which the Guardian and its weekly (the Southern Mercury) were merged (Oct 1877). When a company was formed to take them over, Fenwick became managing director and Reed editor of both papers.

In 1878 Reed accepted the position of immigration agent for New Zealand in Ireland, and went with his family to live in Belfast. Returning to New Zealand about 1881, he became associated with Rees's East Coast settlement scheme. He spent some time in Melbourne, where he was a leading contributor to the Argus, and then returned to Auckland and joined the staff of the New Zealand Herald (1884), for whom he soon afterwards went to London as English correspondent. There he started the Anglo-New Zealander. In 1886 he disposed of this property and returned to New Zealand to become editor of the Auckland Evening Bell, also contributing, under the nom de plume of 'Pollex,' to the New Zealand Herald. This connection displayed his fine talent for writing, and graceful style equally happy in pathos, eloquence and (when he cared to use it) in invective. He was described as the 'Junius of colonial journalism.' Before long he resigned from the Bell and joined the Herald. In 1889 he went to Melbourne to edit the Evening Standard, and in 1890 he was a leader writer in the Sydney Morning Herald.

In 1895 he returned to Auckland once more, and became leader-writer on the Herald and a constant contributor of regular columns under the name of 'Colonus.' In 1887 he published Calamo Currente, including the Finding of Noah's Ark (a highly successful literary hoax); and in 1896 The Angel Isafrel; a Story of Prohibition in New Zealand.

Though he was never in politics, Reed for many years wielded considerable political influence both as journalist and speaker. He did, in fact, represent Takapuna in the Auckland Provincial Council (1872-75); was a member of the executive, and in 1873 provincial secretary. In the closing months of that period he took a leading part in inducing Sir George Grey to enter provincial, and then colonial, politics. He was a member of the charitable aid board, a promoter of the Anglo-Israel association and, at the time of his death, president of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Journalists' institute. He died on 13 Nov 1898.

Of his sons SIR JOHN Ranken Reed was a judge of the Supreme Court from 1921, and VERNON Herbert Reed was M.P. for Bay of Islands (1908-22) and M.L.C. (1924-31).

Auckland P.C. Proc.; Cycl. N.Z., ii (p); Hocken; Otago Daily Times, 9 Dec 1878, 14 Nov 1898; Saturday Advertiser 14 Dec 1878; The Press 8 Jun 1907; N.Z. Herald, 14 Nov 1898, et pass.

Reference: Volume 2, page 108

🌳 Further sources