O'RORKE, SIR GEORGE MAURICE (1830-1916) was the son of the Rev John O'Rorke, of Moylough, county Galway, Ireland. He was educated at Dr Smyth's school at Stellorgan, near Dublin, and proceeded to Trinity College with a Dublin exhibition. There he took classical honours, graduating B.A. (1852). He then went to Victoria and had some years' experience on the goldfields as a digger and on sheep stations, including overlanding between Melbourne, the Murray, the Lachlan and Sydney.

In 1854 O'Rorke came to Auckland and with a college friend, Henry Taylor (afterwards secretary and inspector of schools for Auckland) he started farming at Papakura and Onehunga. In 1857 he accepted the post of clerk to the Auckland Provincial Council, which he filled until 1860. In Jan 1861 he stood for the parliamentary representation of Onehunga and defeated Weeks by one vote. He retained the seat until 1890 (the name of the constituency having been changed to Manukau in 1881), and was then defeated by W. F. Buckland. After three years out of Parliament, he defeated his old opponent and was then continuously member for Manukau until 1902, when he was again defeated (by M. M. Kirkbride). Meanwhile, in 1865 O'Rorke was elected to the Provincial Council (for Onehunga) and he retained the seat for the rest of the provincial period. He had the unique experience of being elected speaker of the Council on the day on which he first took his seat, and he held that office with dignity and competence until the provinces were abolished. In 1874 he was a member of the executive. As speaker he became automatically superintendent on the death of John Williamson, but he held the office only pending a new election, at which Sir George Grey was returned unopposed. O'Rorke was a staunch provincialist and separationist and in Parliament took a leading part in resisting the abolition of the provincial system. In 1868 he was admitted to the bar, being the first to take advantage of the law practitioners' act, which enabled graduates of approved universities to qualify. In Parliament he rapidly attained a prominent position and in 1869 was offered a place in the Fox-Vogel ministry, which he declined. In 1870 he was elected chairman of committees and two years later he accepted the portfolio of Lands and Immigration in the Waterhouse ministry. He continued in these offices in the Fox ministry (1873) and in the succeeding Vogel ministry. A sworn provincialist, O'Rorke severed his association with the Government when Vogel brought down his resolutions (on 13 Aug 1874) foreshadowing the abolition of the provinces. In a speech of rare eloquence and emotion he declared that 'he would never have accepted a seat in the ministry if he had known that his honourable colleague had in his copious armoury this treacherous dagger to stab the provinces, which they were both sworn to maintain. If he remained in the government he would do violence to his conscience and would deserve to be branded as a base political traitor.' Taking his notes and papers from his bench, he walked across the House and sat on the opposition benches. It was a few months after this that he assumed temporarily the superintendency of the province, to make way gracefully for Grey. O'Rorke again became chairman of committees and in 1879, on the retirement of Fitzherbert, he was elected speaker. In 1880 he was knighted. During his long occupancy of the Speaker's chair he earned the reputation of being one of the finest speakers in the empire. His knowledge of precedents was perfect, his judgment and temper were never at fault and his control of the proceedings of the House was absolute. On returning to Parliament after an absence of three years (1890-93) he was again elected to the chair, which he occupied until his final retirement from the popular chamber (1902). In 1904 he was called to the Legislative Council, of which he was a member until his death (on 25 Aug 1916). He several times moved resolutions favouring the restoration of the provinces.

O'Rorke was an ardent promoter of education. He was one of the founders of the Auckland Grammar School and was a governor from its inception in 1869 until his death, and chairman from 1880. In 1878 he was chairman of the royal commission on university and secondary education, and he was chairman of the Auckland University College council from its first meeting in 1883, and of the Auckland Technical School and a member of the senate of the University of New Zealand from 1879. His appreciation of education was very liberal. He wished to see the establishment of chairs of architecture, music, commerce, law and divinity and did much in the province to foster country libraries.

O'Rorke married (1858) Cecilia (who died on 19 Sep 1910), daughter of Alexander Shepherd.

N.Z.P.D., pass. (notably 13 Aug 1874 and 29 Jun 1917); Auckland P.C. Proc.; Gisborne; Saunders; Beaglehole; Cycl. N.Z., ii; Public Opinion (Dunedin), 5 Feb 1881; N.Z. Herald, 26 Aug 1916. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 2, page 72

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