PARNELL, SAMUEL DUNCAN (1810-90), the originator of the eight-hour day in New Zealand, was born in London, educated in the board schools and apprenticed to a carpenter and joiner in Theobald's Road.

As early as 1834 he became imbued with the idea that the working day was unduly long, and so started in business for himself. He was interested already in the trades union movement and did what he could to reduce working hours, but was unable to persuade his shopmates to demand a shorter day. It was with this idea that he at length decided to go abroad, and he became in 1839 a land purchaser under the New Zealand Company. Parnell and his wife, declaring their ages as 27, sailed in the Duke of Roxburgh in Sep and reached Wellington in Feb 1840. Their selection of 100 acres of country land they took up at Karori (where they appear as a freeholder in 1854) and their town acre was in Daniell street. George Hunter, a Wellington merchant, was a fellow passenger, and before long Parnell was engaged in building a residence for him at Korokoro and a store for his firm, Willis and Co. He stipulated in the contract that the men should work only eight hours a day. Hunter did not demur, and so the system had its origin in the colony. Parnell did not see the job through, but the carpenters who completed the work continued on the terms he had arranged, receiving 5s a day. In 1866 Parnell was a resident of Karori. During the labour movement in New Zealand in the early nineties a good deal of attention was paid to Parnell's contribution. Saturday shilling collections were taken up to establish a memorial and he received a congratulatory address in Wellington (28 Oct 1890), just two months before his death, which occurred on 17 Dec. He was given a public funeral. Some months later a memorial demonstration was held in Christchurch.

Parnell was married twice, his second wife being Mrs Brunger, who died in 1888.

Ward; Builders and Contractors News, Sydney, 1890; Lyttelton Times, 31 Jul 1891; N.Z. Herald, 11 Nov 1890 (p); N.Z. Times, 30 Oct, 18, 23 Dec 1890, 3 Nov 1891

Reference: Volume 2, page 78

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