COHEN, MARK (1849-1928) was born in London, came to Victoria with his parents at the age of seven, and was educated at Pope's and Mitchell's schools at Ballarat and at the Jewish school in Melbourne.

In 1863 he came to Otago, and was apprenticed to a signwriter and painter, but left this for a legal office, where he began to study law. In 1865 he joined the Otago Daily Times staff as a junior, and in 1866 went over to the Evening Star. Except for a short time on the Independent and the Sun in 1869, Cohen spent the rest of his life in association with the Star. He was in succession reporter, sub-editor and associate editor, and in 1893 became editor. A very capable journalist and forceful writer, he had also a knack of choosing brilliant men to write for the Star, notably M. J. S. Mackenzie, Rutherford Waddell, H. D. Bedford and P. W. Fairclough.

Cohen was a member of the Dunedin City Council (1888, 1890-93) and in 1891 contested the mayoralty against C. R. Chapman. He took a great interest in every class of education. For some years he was a member of the Union Street school committee, and he helped to organise the Dunedin and Suburban schools association, of which he was chairman. He was a member also of the technical classes association in Dunedin and of the Otago education board (from 1896, and chairman 1898-99). For some years he was honorary secretary of the Dunedin free public library, and he was one of the founders of the New Zealand Library Association. Cohen was also a founder (in 1881) of the Dunedin Free Kindergarten Association, of which he was elected a life member, and he helped to establish the Prince Edward convalescent home at Forbury.

He attended the World press congress in 1907 and the first Empire Press Union conference in 1909. In 1920 he was called to the Legislative Council, of which he was a member till his death (on 3 Mar 1928). Cohen married (1876) Sara, daughter of Woolf Isaacs.

N.Z.P.D., pass. (notably 8 Jul 1928); Scholefield, Union Catalogue; Otago Daily Times and Evening Star, 5 Mar 1928 (p). Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 1, page 100

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