Charles Hulbert (mayor)

Hulbert was born in Bedminster, Bristol, Somerset, England in 1841.[2][3] His parents were John Burgess Hulbert (born 1810) and Elizabeth Hulbert (née Partridge, born 1810). On 22 October 1856, many members of the Hulbert family left Bristol on board the Appleton as assisted passengers (i.e. another party paid for their passage, probably the Victorian government) and reached Melbourne on 25 January 1857.[4][5]

He came to New Zealand in 1860 and participated in the Otago Gold Rush in Gabriel's Gully in 1863.[6][7] He fought in the New Zealand Wars.[6]

He married Mary Anne Hulbert (née Godso) in Melbourne in 1869.[8] In 1871, the family lived in Auckland.[9] The Hulberts and three children arrived in Lyttelton, the harbour town of Christchurch, in February 1873.[10]

Hulbert was a hatter and had his shop in Christchurch's High Street opposite Strange's, i.e. just north of Lichfield Street.[11] He commenced business in August 1873.[12]

On 11 March 1875, Hulbert's business premises caught fire and burned to the ground. He was insured for £1,050, which represented under-insurance of around £1,000 compared to the loss suffered. Fire walls were not in place at the time and only the quick actions of the volunteer fire brigade stopped the fire from spreading to the wooden buildings on either side of his premises.[13][14] On New Year's Eve 1876, Hulbert's shop window was damaged and he advertised a £10 reward for information that would lead to a conviction; The Press even commented on this vandalism.[15][16]

Another fire occurred in the block surrounded by High, Cashel and Manchester Streets on 4 September 1882. It broke out in buildings owned by Charles Hunter Brown and threatened adjacent buildings, some of which also caught fire. Much stock was damaged from various buildings by it being placed onto the opposite side of the roads, where it either got damaged by water or from where it was stolen; this was also the case for Hulbert, whose building was otherwise undamaged.[17][18]

His business practices and the production process of hats was described in a detailed article in The Press in May 1878. At the time, he employed 11 staff across three departments. He also supplied helmets for the police, collegiate caps for the College, and caps for fire police and volunteers. Due to high tariffs, he could only manufacture more expensive items; low quality items could be imported cheaper from England than made locally. Hulbert claimed at the time that without tariffs, he would be employing between 100 and 200 staff.[19] By the following year, Hulbert also had a hat factory in nearby Bedford Row.[20] By 1883, Hulbert employed about 20 staff who produced about "twelve dozen" hats per week.[21]

Hulbert exhibited at the New Zealand International Exhibition held in 1882 in South Hagley Park, and also had gowns and academic robes. His products were said to be fashionable.[22]

In 1885, Hulbert sold a section in Linwood on the corner of Worcester Street and Stanmore Road to the Linwood Town Board for their proposed office building. Of the sections considered by the board, they chose Hulbert's as most suitable because it was located on the route of the so-called Corporation Line, a tram that was proposed for Worcester Street.[23] The offices to be built became known as the Linwood Borough Council Chambers, and from 1909 to 1993, were used as the Linwood Public Library. Subsequently, the building has been a community facility known as Te Whare Roimata.[24]

Hulbert's name inscribed in the Worcester Street Bridge pillar

Hulbert opened Armagh Street Park Bridge in December 1885

During Hulbert's mayoralty, the design competition for the civic offices was decided

Hulbert first stood for election as Christchurch city councillor in September 1879 in the South East Ward on the Ratepayers' Association ticket.[25] The South East Ward was located south of Hereford and east of Colombo Streets; it was the first time that the ward system was used in an election.[25][26] The Ratepayers' Association intended to support three candidates in each of the four wards, i.e. a candidate for each available position.[27] Of those 12 possible candidates, 11 were eventually nominated,[28] and 9 of them were elected, including Hulbert.[29] Notable councillors elected in 1879 apart from Hulbert were James Gapes and Aaron Ayers.[29]

At the time, councillors retired by rotation, and Hulbert's term was up in September 1881.[30] He contested the South East Ward against Samuel Manning[31] and was successful, with 556 votes to 519.[32] Later in 1881 at the general election in the Christchurch South electorate, Hulbert proposed John Holmes as a candidate. The other candidate was the former mayor John Anderson, but Holmes was successful.[33][34]

In 1882, Hulbert became a strong promoter of a proper water supply system for Christchurch, where one of the principal aims was to have water available for fire fighting purposes (in fact, Hulbert's business premises had burned down in 1875).[13][35] Consequently, Hulbert was asked to join council's Water Supply Committee.[36] Hulbert spoke against a resolution by the Local Board of Health to take the sanitary functions off the city council and carry them out by itself.[37] In July 1882, Mayor George Ruddenklau chaired a large and often rowdy public meeting, proposing a public loan of £60,000 for the installation of water reticulation in the city; there were strong views expressed against such a measure.[38]

On 4 September 1882, Hulbert resigned from Christchurch City Council. He did so at that particular time as elections for the normal rotation of councillors were about to be held, and although he had one more year to serve, he felt that having given his time for three years was enough and somebody else should represent the South East Ward.[39][40] Hulbert was succeeded as councillor by Frederick Jenkins.[41]

Hulbert was a member of the Loyal Benevolent Lodge (No. 5430) and for a time was their Grandmaster.[88][89] A New Zealand branch of the St John Ambulance was first founded in Christchurch on 30 April 1885.[90][91] It was decided to appoint the Governor (William Jervois) as president, and the mayors of Christchurch (Hulbert), Sydenham (William White), and St Albans (Benjamin Bull) as vice-presidents.[91] Meetings during the year were generally chaired by Hulbert, who took such interest in the organisation that after the first annual meeting, he was asked to remain a vice-chair, even though the mayoralty had gone to Ayers by then.[92][93]

Hulbert played bowls[9] and participated in cricket.[94][95] In 1885, Hulbert joined the Canterbury Jockey Club.[96]

For many years, Hulbert was on the committee Christchurch East School.[97] The school committee, at its monthly meeting in July 1885, passed the following resolution:[98]

That in the true interests of the children, it is advisable that a portion of the scriptures be read by them at the opening of school each day, and the Lord's Prayer be reverentially recited, provided such can be done without violating the requirements of the Education Act.

The motion was passed against the wishes of Hulbert and the chairman (who was Jewish). Hulbert resigned over the issue, citing that he did not wish to be on a board that passed motions that were illegal. The chairman obtained a legal opinion from the office of Thomas Joynt and Acton Adams, which confirmed that the motion was indeed in violation of the Act.[99][100]

External image
Gravestone before earthquake damage

Hulbert's gravestone fell over in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake

During the time of the mayoralty, the Hulbert family lived in Linwood.[101]

Hulbert died on 22 June 1926 at his home in 9 Prince Street, Wellington.[102] He was buried at the family grave in Linwood Cemetery in Christchurch.[103] His son, Captain Leslie Hulbert, died in WWI in France.[104] Another son, Walter Hulbert, also served in WWI but returned home and died in 1961.[105]

Hulbert Street in Christchurch's suburb of Linwood is named after him.[106]