Mick Moohan

The Honourable Michael Moohan
17th Minister of Railways
In office 8 December 1957 – 31 August 1960
Prime Minister	Walter Nash
Preceded by	John McAlpine
Succeeded by	John McAlpine
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Petone
In office 1946 – 7 February 1967
Succeeded by	Fraser Colman
18th President of the Labour Party
In office 1955–1960
Vice President	Martyn Finlay
Leader	Walter Nash
Preceded by	Arnold Nordmeyer
Succeeded by	Martyn Finlay
Personal details
Born	(1899-04-27)27 April 1899 Garrison, County Fermanagh, Ireland
Died	7 February 1967(1967-02-07) (aged 67)
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Cecilia Hayman

Michael Moohan (27 April 1899 – 7 February 1967) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.

Early life

Moohan was born in Garrison, County Fermanagh, Ireland, in 1899, before moving to England, where he joined the Labour Party. He served in France with the British Army in World War I, and later emigrated to New Zealand in 1919. In 1923 he married Cecilia Hayman; they had one son and four daughters.

After arriving in New Zealand Moohan became active in support of Labour in the Waimarino district. After, leaving Waimarino for Auckland, he was elected vice-president and later as secretary of the Auckland Labour Representation Committee. He joined Labour's national office as an assistant secretary in 1937, and in 1940 was elected as Labour's national secretary-treasurer.

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament

Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1946–1949	28th	Petone			Labour
1949–1951	29th	Petone			Labour
1951–1954	30th	Petone			Labour
1954–1957	31st	Petone			Labour
1957–1960	32nd	Petone			Labour
1960–1963	33rd	Petone			Labour
1963–1966	34th	Petone			Labour
1966–1967	35th	Petone			Labour

He was the Member of Parliament for Petone from 1946 to 1967, when he died. He was the Minister of Railways in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960. During this time he also served as the Labour Party's President between 1955 and 1960.

Moohan Rocket

On 16 February 1960 a special ministerial train dubbed the Moohan Rocket made a trip from Wellington to Auckland on the North Island Main Trunk, taking 11 hours and 45 minutes, or 2½ hours less than the steam-hauled Night Limited. As the train of a brake van, three first-class cars and a Ministerial car at the rear only weighed 147 tons, and was hauled by two DG class locomotives, the time was somewhat disappointing. The return trip two days later behind a single DA locomotive was slightly quicker at 11 hours and 34 minutes, though the superior DA could not then run through the tunnels north of Wellington and the two DGs took over at Palmerston North. The train reflected Moohan’s idea of a fast and comfortable intercity service later seen in the Silver Star and Silver Fern.

Death

Moohan died on 7 February 1967, and was buried at Taitā Lawn Cemetery.

References

• Paul, J.T. (1946). Humanism in Politics: New Zealand Labour Party in Retrospect. Wellington, NZ: New Zealand Worker Printing and Publishing.
• Brown, Bruce (1962). The Rise of New Zealand Labour: A history of the New Zealand Labour Party. Wellington: Price Milburn. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Rail: The Great New Zealand Adventure by Roy Sinclair (1987, Grantham House Wellington) ISBN 1-86934-013-2 (Moohan Rocket, page 82)
• Who's Who in New Zealand (1961, 7th edition)