Eugene Joseph O'Conor (23 February 1835 – 5 July 1912) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for the Buller electorate, in the South Island.
Born in Ireland in 1835, O'Conor went to Victoria, Australia in 1854, and came to New Zealand in the early 1860s. He was a cattle dealer and storekeeper. O'Conor had 'several useful inventions patented' and lectured on his opinion that Francis Bacon (Baconian theory) was the author of Shakespeare's plays. He was a significant land owner on the West Coast.[1]
O'Conor was a member of the Nelson Provincial Council. From November 1869 to October 1873, he represented the Buller electorate. From May 1874 until the abolition of the Nelson Province in October 1876, he represented the Westport electorate. From June 1874, he was on the Nelson Executive Council for a time (the source does not record an end date).
Eugene O'Conor represented the Buller electorate in the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1871 to 1875 and again between 1884 and 1893. He was known as the 'Buller Lion' for his strong advocacy of local interests and was opposed to 'party government'. O'Conor had advanced ideas and promoted democratic measures, including removing the property qualification for the franchise and having the Legislative Council directly elected by the people.
O'Conor died on 5 July 1912 in Nelson. His wife had pre-deceased him in 1890. They had no children, and he left the majority of his estate to destitute children and old people in Westport.[2]
The Karamea Special Settlement 1874