CURLING, JOHN was sheep farming in Hawkes Bay in the early fifties. In 1856 he was gazetted a J.P. and in the same year was one of the original members of the Ahuriri Settlers' Association. In 1857 he was called to the Legislative Council, and on the same date was appointed resident magistrate at Napier. He presented in Parliament (20 Apr 1858) the petition of Hawkes Bay for separation from Wellington. Speaking on the New Provinces bill (16 Aug), he expressed the hope that the Superintendent of Hawkes Bay would sit in council and do away with ceremonial inasmuch as "a plain sheepfarmer, who might be superintendent, would object to ceremony." In Nov 1858 Curling was appointed receiver of land revenue for the district. He resigned from the Legislative Council in 1861. In 1863 he was appointed captain in the Napier militia (unattached from May 1864). He retired in 1869 and was afterwards for some years a schoolmaster.

Parlty Record; Cycl. NZ., vi

Reference: Volume 1, page 110

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