James Shiner Bond

James was the eldest son of Alfred Bond and Sarah, née Shiner, born on 12 December 1858 in Beaminster.[1] He started as an apprentice printer when he was 13.[2] James arrived at Whanganui in 1878,[3] working as a job printer at the Rangitikei Advocate. In 1880 he moved to Cambridge, where he was printer at the Waikato Mail.[4]

James married Sarah Annie O’Connor on 1 May 1881 and they had 9 children[1] Among them were -

• Alfred James, (born 1885) and Augustine (born 4 August 1890), who sailed with the 16th Waikato Regiment on 16 October 1914.[5] Augustine was killed in the Gallipoli landing on 25 April 1915 and is buried in Baby 700 cemetery at Anzac Cove.[6] Alfred returned in 1918,[7] after being wounded and gassed,[8] and, in 1919, married Ada Ring.[9] Patricia was one of their children.[10] Alfred continued the family stationery business until he died on 15 April 1928.[11] He was buried in Hamilton East Cemetery.[5]
• Francis Cecil farmed at Rotokauri.[12]
• Fred C, born on 5 January 1884, published a directory.[13] He survived the war[14] and being sunk when the Wimmera hit a mine in 1918.[15]
• Percy was wounded in France in 1916[16][17]

Sarah died on 20 April 1902.[18] James married Ellen Octavia Graham on 29 March 1905 at Ponsonby[19] and had 3 more children.[1] Ellen died on 17 December 1955, aged 89.[20]

Waikato Times and J S Bond store in 1906

In 1881 he started the Atlas Printing Company which also sold books and stationery.[1] It was affected by a large fire in Cambridge in 1889.[21] In July 1895 James started the Waikato Advocate, a weekly journal, which bought the masthead and property of the Waikato Times from the Bank of New Zealand in 1896.[22] The previous owner, George Edgecumbe, was given a fortnight to give up possession. He set up a rival Waikato Argus and took the files, advertising contacts and subscriber lists, leaving James with the building, membership of the Press Association and a printing press. James began publishing the Waikato Times every evening, rather than 3 mornings a week.[23][24] In 1898 a large fire cracked the windows of his stationery shop at the Waikato Times.[25] In 1902 he sold the Waikato Times to Paull & Venables and was presented with a desk by his employees.[26][27][28] From 1898 to 1919 he was the Hamilton agent for the Public Trustee Office.[29] He retired to Remuera in 1920.[4]

He died at Remuera on 26 November 1922[4] and was buried at Waikumete Cemetery.[3]

Bond Street in Hamilton East was named after him[30] by its developer.[31]

James joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge on 5 April 1887.[32] He was on Cambridge Borough Council for 9 years,[4] including being mayor from 22 November 1892,[33] re-elected unopposed in 1894[34] and serving until 1895.[4] He was elected to Hamilton Borough Council in 1900[35] and 1901,[36] being elected unopposed as mayor in April 1905[37] and 1906[38] and elected again in 1907[39] and 1908,[40] serving until May 1909 and again elected as a councillor in 1913.[41] He was also on the Waikato Licensing Committee from 1894,[42] president of the Winter Show Association,[43] the Waikato Agricultural and Pastoral Association, chairman of Waikato Hospital Board and, when the Hamilton High School Board of Governors was first constituted in 1911, he took a seat on the Board.[4] He was a member of the Auckland Harbour Board,[44][45][46] on the Auckland Board of Education,[47][48][49] chairman of directors of the Theatre Royal Company, Ltd[4] and active in the Church of England.[50] Shortly before he died he was elected to the Auckland Grammar School Board.[51]

Photos -

• Portrait in masonic robe
• 1901 portrait
• 1907 portrait
• 1908 with councillors
• Mrs Bond