CAMPBELL, SIR JOHN LOGAN (1817-1912) was born at Edinburgh, the son of Dr John Campbell and grandson of Sir James Campbell, of Aberuchill and Kilbryde, Perthshire. He was educated at the Edinburgh High School and at the University, where he graduated M.D. and F.R.C.S. He gained a commission in the East India Company, but changed his plans and decided to come to the colonies. He sailed for Australia as surgeon-superintendent of the Palmyra in 1839, and during a few months in that country visited the Bathurst and Lachlan districts. Attracted by reports of the projected colony in New Zealand, he crossed in the Lady Lilford early in 1840 and at Coromandel joined William Brown (q.v.), who had been a passenger in the Palmyra. Together they prospected the neighbourhood of Hauraki Gulf and Waitemata and eventually purchased from the natives Motukorea (afterwards called Brown's Island). There they erected a habitation which they occupied until the foundation of Auckland, when they moved thither and acquired central sections at the first sale of town lots. Brown and Campbell started business in Shortland Street in Dec 1840, and were soon leading merchants, with agents in the more important settlements of the north. In 1844 they loaded the barque Bolina with the first cargo of New Zealand produce for the English market, Brown proceeding thither as a passenger. In 1844 Campbell was offered a seat in the Legislative Council, but he declined owing to the demands of his own business. The firm had taken the main responsibility in establishing a newspaper, the Southern Cross, which had been managed by Brown since its first appearance early in 1843. It did not pay, and during the depression its finances made serious leeway. Campbell consequently suspended publication (Apr 1845). On Brown's return the state of public affairs made the revival of the Southern Cross imperative (1847).

His partner now taking control of the business, Campbell in 1848 left on his first visit to England. He spent many months travelling in the East and in Europe and did not return to New Zealand till 1850. In the following year he left again on a visit to San Francisco and was a witness of the burning of that city. He then took a renewed interest in New Zealand affairs, and on 21 Sep 1852 was elected by the Auckland Suburbs constituency to the Legislative Council of New Ulster. The functioning of that body was forestalled by the promulgation of the new constitution in 1853. Campbell did not stand for election to the first legislative bodies either in the province or at the capital. His partner, however, contested the superintendency of Auckland against Colonel Wynyard (Jul 1853) and in Aug 1854 was elected to Parliament for the City. When Wynyard resigned the superintendency (Jan 1855) Brown was elected, and he held office to the end of the year. In the midst of a political crisis he had to leave on a visit to Scotland. Campbell was elected to Parliament in his stead (Oct 1855) and, by defeating F. Whitaker (q.v.) by 99 votes, he became superintendent of the province (15 Nov). He was a member of Stafford's executive without portfolio (Jun to Nov 1856) and meanwhile judiciously managed the affairs of the province until Sep 1856, when he resigned both the superintendency and his parliamentary seat to pay another visit to Great Britain.

Again Campbell spent many months travelling on the Continent and in the East. When he heard of the outbreak of the mutiny in India he proceeded there hastily in order to join his fiancee, Emma, daughter of Sir John Cracroft Wilson (q.v.). He reached Cawnpore in time to witness the marching out of Sir Colin Campbell's force to the relief of Lucknow, and was married at Meerut. On his return to New Zealand in 1860 he was again elected to Parliament, but retained the seat only from Aug till the dissolution in Nov. In 1862 he again proceeded to England, and for the next 10 years the family lived mostly in Europe. In 1871 Campbell returned to Auckland as resident partner of the firm, of which three years later he became sole proprietor. He took a prominent part in the development of many other commercial undertakings in New Zealand. His firm having had built for their own business the paddle steamer Golden Crown, he became interested in the formation of the New Zealand Shipping Co. He was a promoter and director also of the Bank of New Zealand, the New Zealand Insurance Co., the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., and the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Co. (of which he was chairman). In 1847 he had helped to found the Auckland Savings Bank, of which he was secretary for some years. He was president of the Northern Club, the Auckland Institute, the chamber of commerce and the Auckland education board. In 1856 he organised the first volunteer corps, the New Zealand Rifles.

Campbell showed a keen interest in the cultural well-being of his city. In 1877 he established the free school of art, which he maintained until the founding of the Elam School of Art in 1889. At an early period he acquired a considerable area of land close to the centre of the town with the intention of preserving it from the inevitable encroachment of the city's expansion. On 24 Apr 1901 he was elected mayor in view of the approaching visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, and in commemoration of that occasion he presented to the city a generous gift of 300 acres of this land, now known as Cornwall Park. Amongst his other public gifts were a free kindergarten and a creche. He was knighted in 1902 and in 1906 a statue erected in his honour by the city was unveiled. Campbell published in 1881 an attractive book of reminiscences entitled Poenamu. He was an amateur photographer of outstanding talent.

Campbell died on 22 Jun 1912 and was buried on the summit of Maungakiekie.

N.Z.P.D., 1856; 26 Jun, 4 Jul and 7 Aug 1912; Auckland P.C. Proc.; Parltry Record; Cycl. N.Z. ii (p); H. B. Morton; Sherrin and Wallace; Brett's Almanac 1879 (p); J. L. Campbell, op. cit. and N.Z. Herald 24 Mar 1883; Who's Who N.Z. 1908; Webster; J. Rutherford, The Founding of Auckland (1940); N.Z. Herald, 25 May 1906, 24 Jun 1912 (p)

Reference: Volume 2, page 272

🌳 Further sources