BRADNEY, JOHN HENRY (1853-1936) was born in Staffordshire and came to Auckland with his parents at the age of six. At 11 he commenced work on a farm and eventually took to the sea and was engaged in coastal trading, bushfelling at Coromandel and goldmining at Thames. He was for some years a waterman at Auckland, plying rowboats between the city and North Shore. After serving in the steamer Lily in the Kaipara service and in larger ships in overseas trade he was again a waterman in the service of the harbour board. In 1884, with his brother-in-law (E. C. Binns), he founded a firm of steamboat proprietors (afterwards J. H. Bradney and Sons). Bradney was for nine years (1907-15, 1922-23) on the Auckland harbour board; was a member of the Mount Albert borough council and represented Auckland West in Parliament (1911-14). Fond of music, he was for half a century a member of the Auckland Choral Society. He died on 25 May 1936.

NZ Herald, 27 May 1936.

Reference: Volume 1, page 60

🌳 Further sources