James Moloney : Short Biography

James Moloney married Allicia/Alicia Doran Oct 17 1824 Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland See headstone

Family: Children: John 1927, Bryan 1929, James 1830 married Anstatia as on headstone, John 1833 and William 1840 who immigrated to Australia C1860 and then to NZ  Baptism: Baptism notes for William: 7 Mar 1840 Stradbally Wm, of Jas Molony & Alicia Doran, sponsors Buckley and Cahill, abode Ballycoolin.

William Moloney was born in Queens in 1840 and was bought up to farming in his native country. In 1860, he left the old land for Melbourne and spent four years in the NSW gold fields. Then onto Otago and Westland fields for a year. It is believed that at one time he had a claim next to that of Dick Seddon –“King Dick” who later became Prime Minister of NZ.

William Moloney settled in Wairoa in 1866, at Ohinepaku but had the misfortune to be turned off in 1869 by Te Kooti. He then joined the Wairoa Rifles and was present at the Lake Waiikaremoana skirmishes in 1872. He started business as a storekeeper in Wairoa and later North Clyde.

William was one of the founders of the Catholic Church in Wairoa, he and two others bought the land on which the church, presbytery and convent stand. He was a JP, Chairman of the Harbour Board, a member of the old Town Board, a founder and one of the first directors of the Dairy factory, and Chairman of the Wairoa County Council, in which capacity he declared the Wairoa Bridge open to traffic in 1887.