CARROLL, SIR JAMES (1857-1926) was the son of Joseph Carroll (1815-99), who was in the botanical department of the government in New South Wales in the thirties and settled in Wairoa, where he engaged in agriculture and sheep farming and imported stock and machinery. Besides owning a large tract of land at Hurumua, he engaged in business as a blacksmith and kept several small schooners for whaling. He married Tapuke, a chieftainess of the Wairoa hapu of Ngati-Kahungunu.

James was born at Wairoa on 20 Aug 1857, the youngest child of the family. He spent his childhood in the Urewera under leading tohungas, and at the age of six was sent to Thomson's school at Napier. He showed no aptitude for study, spoke little English and at the age of 12 returned to work on his father's station. In 1869 he enlisted with the native allies (under F. E. Hamlin) in pursuit of Te Kooti; in every skirmish with the enemy he behaved in all cases with great steadiness, and for his services received the war medal and a bonus of £50. Then he spent 18 months as a cadet under Locke, native commissioner and magistrate for the East Coast. McLean transferred him to the native office in Wellington, and a year later he was licensed as an interpreter and attached to the native land court under Judge Rogan. In 1879 he was appointed interpreter in the House of Representatives, where he gained a close acquaintance with the forms of parliament and became a fluent speaker.

In 1883 Carroll resigned to contest the Eastern Maori seat, but was defeated by Wi Pere by 23 votes. Declining to return to his old post, he became thoroughly intimate with the needs of his people, and in 1887 he defeated Pere by 200 votes. He held the seat continuously until 1894, when he was elected for the European constituency of Waiapu (afterwards Gisborne), defeating De Lautour by 497 votes. That seat he held for 25 years. Meanwhile Carroll had a distinguished career. In 1892 he was appointed a member of the executive representing the native race, and he held that position throughout the Ballance and Seddon administrations. From 1896 he was also Commissioner of Stamps and in Dec 1899 he became Minister of Native Affairs. His native policy was conservative and he carried some important measures extending native government, notably the Maori councils act 1900. His object was to conserve and extend the remaining rights of the Maori and to encourage the co-operative farming of their lands. Carroll had a dignified personality, was a fluent speaker, practised in the imagery of Maori lore, and equally eloquent in English. He had great influence and mana, and did much to make the Maori better understood by the pakeha. He continued in office throughout the Hall Jones and Ward administrations and was for some years the senior member of the Cabinet. In 1911 he was created K.C.M.G.

Reverting to the position of a private member when the Liberal government was defeated in 1912, he lost his seat to Lysnar at the election of 1919, and two years later was called to the Legislative Council by the Massey government. Carroll attended one of the conferences in London of the Empire Parliamentary Association. He died on 18 Oct 1926, nine days after delivering an eloquent oration at the grave of his friend Sir William Herries (q.v.). He married early in life Heni Materoa, who survived him until 1 Nov 1930. There were no children, but Sir James and Lady Carroll brought up about thirty foster children.

Parltry Record; Army department record of war service; N.Z.P.D. (notably 24 Jun 1927); Cowan; Gisborne; Evening Post, 19 Oct 1926; Daily Telegraph (Napier), 29 Oct 1926; Gisborne Times, 10 May 1927; N.Z. Times, 21 Aug 1911; N.Z. Herald, Nov 1926. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 1, page 89

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