Biography.guide
Home › People › Politician › James Walker Bain
Portrait of James Walker Bain

James Walker Bain

1841 – 1899

Scottish-New Zealand politician

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About James Walker Bain

Lived 1841 – 1899 (aged 57–58). James Walker Bain was a New Zealand and British politician.

James Walker Bain (1841 – 29 September 1899) was a 19th-century New Zealand politician. He was a significant businessman in Invercargill and Southland.

Bain was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1841. He received his education at the Free Church Normal School and then at a private academy. He started with the printing company Oliver and Boyd and learned the trade of a compositor.

He arrived in Port Chalmers in New Zealand, Otago's harbour, on 23 September 1858 on the Jura from Glasgow. His parents, five sisters and one brother arrived in Otago on the Gloucester three months later; one of his sisters was Wilhelmina Sherriff Bain. Bain founded the Mataura Paper Mill in 1875. He was Mayor of Invercargill in 1891–1892.

Bain died unexpectedly on the morning of 29 September 1899 after falling ill on 26 September. He was buried at St. John's Cemetery in Invercargill.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1841, Edinburgh
Birth century
Died
1899
Occupation
Positions held
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
Also known as
James Bain

People in James Walker Bain's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped James Walker Bain's

Frequently asked questions

Who was James Walker Bain?

Scottish-New Zealand politician

When was James Walker Bain born?

James Walker Bain was born in 1841 in Edinburgh.

When did James Walker Bain die?

James Walker Bain died in 1899.

What was James Walker Bain's occupation?

James Walker Bain was a politician.

What nationality was James Walker Bain?

James Walker Bain was New Zealand and British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: James Walker Bain

· Wikidata: Q16198185

· DBpedia: James Walker Bain

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James Walker Bain. https://biography.guide/james-walker-bain/

MLA: "James Walker Bain." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-walker-bain/.

Chicago: "James Walker Bain." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-walker-bain/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-25 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:13 UTC