James Esmond Farrell

James Esmond Farrell (14 October 1909 – 1 September 1968) was a New Zealand diplomat.

Biography

Farrell was born in Ashburton on 14 October 1909.[1] He was educated at St. Thomas's Academy in Oamaru and Sacred Heart College in Auckland.[2] In 1935 he married Mercia Taylor with whom he had three sons and a daughter[1]

He was a member of the Oamaru Trotting Club executive from 1931 to 1965 and was for 12 years president of the club and later vice-president of the New Zealand Trotting Conference. He also served for several years as a member of the Totalisator Agency Board.[3] In World War II Farrell served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.[3]

He attended the University of Canterbury, where he graduated bachelor of laws in 1945.[4] At university he was nominated for a Rhodes Scholarship.[3] Farrell was a barrister and solicitor and the senior partner in the legal firm of Hjorring, Tait and Farrell.[3] He was also a contributor to the Law Journal.[2]

Farrell studied international affairs at several European and American based organisations and lectured extensively on the subject himself. He was also a radio speaker on European and Commonwealth affairs. Farrell was the president of the Oamaru branch of the Royal Over-Seas League as well as an associate member of the British Atlantic Committee and the British Society for International Understanding.[2]

Farrell was the Oamaru electorate president of the National Party.[3] Farrell was also a member of the National Party's Dominion Council.[2] He had sought the National nomination for Oamaru at the 1946 election, but was unsuccessful.[5]

In 1965 Farrell was appointed by the Second National Government as New Zealand's Resident High Commissioner to India. He held the post until 1968.[6]

He died in Oamaru on 1 September 1968. He was survived by his wife and four children.[3]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Petersen 1964, pp. 125.
  2. ^ a b c d "High Commissioner to India". The Press. Vol. CIV, no. 30863. 23 September 1965. p. 1.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Obituary - Mr J. E. Farrell". The Press. Vol. CIX, no. 32082. 2 September 1969. p. 14.
  4. ^ "NZ university graduates 1871–1961: F". shadowsoftime. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Oamaru Seat - National Candidate". Otago Daily Times. No. 26222. 5 August 1946. p. 4.
  6. ^ "Heads of Missions List: I". New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 8 July 2006. Archived from the original on 30 September 2006.

References

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Resident High Commissioner to India
1965–1968 		Succeeded by