Joseph Tole

Joseph Augustus Tole (1846 – 13 December 1920) was a 19th-century New Zealand lawyer, politician, and Minister of Justice from 1884 to 1887.

Tole was born in 1846 in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England. He came to Auckland with his parents, John Tole and Margaret O'Halloran. Tole and Garrett were liberal politicians, whilst Withy was a conservative. The liberal vote was split, and Tole, Withy and Garrett received 606, 701 and 170 votes, respectively, with Withy thus elected.

In 1893, he became Crown Prosecutor at Auckland and remained in that role until his death. He was among the inaugural New Zealand King's Counsel appointed in 1907. He had been ill for four months and was improving, but he died at his home in Remuera from heart failure on 13 December 1920.