KENNEDY, JOSEPH BOND (1841-1913) was born at Kennedy's Bay, Auckland. His father, John Kennedy, after whom the bay was named, came to New Zealand in the Buffalo and loaded that vessel and the Pelorus with spars for the Admiralty. He was murdered in 1843. Joseph was brought up by his Maori mother. When quite young he went to Auckland and shipped as a seaman. Before he had attained his majority he was in command of a small vessel trading to Melbourne. He first visited Poverty Bay in 1851 in the Fly, and was employed for some years by Captain Read in the coasting trade, commanding the Tawera and the Julius Vogel. In 1874 he was appointed harbourmaster of Gisborne. In 1892 he resigned to commence a lightering business, which expanded into the prosperous firm of Kennedy and Co. He married first (1867) a half-caste woman of the Opotiki tribe. Kennedy died on 19 Jun 1913.

Cycl. NZ., ii (p); Poverty Bay Herald, 5 Jan 1924.

Reference: Volume 1, page 247

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