FARMER, JAMES (1823-95) was born in Fifeshire, Scotland. He arrived in Auckland by the Louisa Campbell in 1847, and became interested in land and commercial undertakings. He managed the One Tree Hill estate, near Onehunga, for the firm of Brown, Campbell and Co., but being a large shareholder in the Caledonian mine at Thames, he devoted his attention to mining and made a competence, on which he returned to live in England. Farmer stood for the Provincial Council for the Pensioner Settlements in 1855, and for the parliamentary seat, but was defeated for both. In 1859 he was elected to Parliament for Marsden. Standing for Onehunga at the next election, he was defeated, but in 1867 he was returned for Raglan, which he represented till 1870. He was then called to the Legislative Council, in which he sat for three years before returning to England. He was elected to the Provincial Council for Franklin in 1861, and represented it till 1863. He later sat in the Council for Raglan (1867-69) and for Auckland West (1871-72). Farmer visited New Zealand again in the nineties. He died in 1895.

N.Z.P.D.; Auckland P.C. Proc.; Cycl. NZ., ii (p). Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 1, page 137

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