CONNELL, JOHN AITKEN (1841-91) was born in Ayrshire and educated in Glasgow, and arrived in Auckland in 1858. A few years later he went to Dunedin, where for 20 years he was in business as a land agent and surveyor. In partnership with T. Moodie, he carried out extensive contracts for the provincial government. In 1884 they sold the business to the Perpetual Trustees, Estate and Agency Co., in which he had an interest till 1887, when he returned to Auckland. Connell read papers on land tenure as early as 1876. In 1873 he published The Otago Waste Lands Act 1872 (with analytical index). In Auckland he founded the New Zealand Political Association (1887) and in that year contested the Eden parliamentary seat against Mitchelson. Connell died on 21 Aug 1891.

N.Z. Herald, 23, 26 Jul, 2, 3 Aug 1887, 22 Aug 1891; Otago Daily Times, 5 Jun 1876.

Reference: Volume 1, page 102

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