OBEN, Henry William
Born 29 November 1876, died 20 November 1918, buried 21 November 1918, aged 41.
Born 29 November 1876, died 20 November 1918, buried 21 November 1918, aged 41.
Henry William Oben
Photo supplied by Teresa Smart Underhill, granddaughter
Photo supplied by Teresa Smart Underhill, granddaughter
Harry OBEN was the proprietor of what became an iconic Wellington Hotel, the Shamrock, in Molesworth St. He died from influenza a few days after the epidemic peaked in Wellington, leaving his widow Johanna grief-stricken. They had been married only 8 years and had two little daughters, one just 6-months-old. As Jo was an experienced hotel keeper, she felt she should carry on managing the hotel, while also caring for her young children.
Henry William Oben, known as Harry, was born in Nelson on 29 November 1876. He was the eldest child of Eliza Emma Fissenden and Henry Oben senior, who married on Christmas Day 1874 in London.
The couple migrated to NZ aboard the Hannibal in 1875 and settled at Foxhill in the Wairoa Valley near Nelson. Henry died from rheumatic fever in 1895 and the older siblings went to work to support the family. The widows' pension was not introduced in NZ until 1911.
Harry first appeared on the electoral roll in Foxton, where he worked for the A. and L. Seifert Flaxdressing Company (Dominion, Aug 1911). In late 1906, Harry met Johanna (known as Jo), his bride to be, in Shannon when she was visiting cousins farming there.
Johanna Curran was born in Waterford, Ireland, in 1876 and came out to NZ in early 1879 with her parents James and Johanna Curran (née Walsh) and four siblings on the ship the Oamaru. They settled first in Milton in Otago and later moved to Dunedin.
At the time of meeting Harry, Jo was managing the Terminus Hotel on the corner of Taranaki St and Courtenay Place in Wellington. Jo had been asked by her cousin, Jack Curran, to move from Dunedin to learn the hotel trade, so he could leave the running of the hotel in capable hands while he and his wife Louise went on a world trip.
Harry and Jo married in St Joseph’s Cathedral, Dunedin, on 5 July 1910. The following year, they moved to Tokomaru, near Shannon, where Harry had been appointed Manager of the Te Mukanui Flaxmills (Dominion, 3 Aug 1911).
Their first child, Lalla Mary, was born in Foxton in 1912, and in 1913 (see Evening Post 7 Feb 1913) Harry entered the hotel trade by buying the lease of the Post Office Hotel in Foxton. Harry advertised the hotel as a ‘Home away from Home. Good Cheer, Good Beer’ in various papers including the Maoriland Worker.
In early 1916, Harry and Jo and Lalla Mary moved to Wellington to take on a larger enterprise, the Shamrock Hotel in Molesworth St. Their second daughter, Joan Raphael, was born in April 1918.
Henry William Oben, known as Harry, was born in Nelson on 29 November 1876. He was the eldest child of Eliza Emma Fissenden and Henry Oben senior, who married on Christmas Day 1874 in London.
The couple migrated to NZ aboard the Hannibal in 1875 and settled at Foxhill in the Wairoa Valley near Nelson. Henry died from rheumatic fever in 1895 and the older siblings went to work to support the family. The widows' pension was not introduced in NZ until 1911.
Harry first appeared on the electoral roll in Foxton, where he worked for the A. and L. Seifert Flaxdressing Company (Dominion, Aug 1911). In late 1906, Harry met Johanna (known as Jo), his bride to be, in Shannon when she was visiting cousins farming there.
Johanna Curran was born in Waterford, Ireland, in 1876 and came out to NZ in early 1879 with her parents James and Johanna Curran (née Walsh) and four siblings on the ship the Oamaru. They settled first in Milton in Otago and later moved to Dunedin.
At the time of meeting Harry, Jo was managing the Terminus Hotel on the corner of Taranaki St and Courtenay Place in Wellington. Jo had been asked by her cousin, Jack Curran, to move from Dunedin to learn the hotel trade, so he could leave the running of the hotel in capable hands while he and his wife Louise went on a world trip.
Harry and Jo married in St Joseph’s Cathedral, Dunedin, on 5 July 1910. The following year, they moved to Tokomaru, near Shannon, where Harry had been appointed Manager of the Te Mukanui Flaxmills (Dominion, 3 Aug 1911).
Their first child, Lalla Mary, was born in Foxton in 1912, and in 1913 (see Evening Post 7 Feb 1913) Harry entered the hotel trade by buying the lease of the Post Office Hotel in Foxton. Harry advertised the hotel as a ‘Home away from Home. Good Cheer, Good Beer’ in various papers including the Maoriland Worker.
In early 1916, Harry and Jo and Lalla Mary moved to Wellington to take on a larger enterprise, the Shamrock Hotel in Molesworth St. Their second daughter, Joan Raphael, was born in April 1918.
Oben’s Shamrock Hotel, corner of Molesworth and Hawkestone Streets, Wellington
The Shamrock had 21 rooms, apart from the proprietor's quarters, and catered for parliamentarians, the local Thorndon community, and people heading to Wadestown and beyond. Harry regularly advertised the Shamrock in the NZ Times and the Evening Post.
Harry was a member of the Licensed Victuallers' Association and took a great interest in many sports, especially rugby. To support the war effort, he enlisted in 1916, appearing on the army's reserve roll.
Harry became ill with influenza a few days after Armistice Day and his family believe he caught it from returning soldiers before the Government closed hotels in Wellington on 18 November. For three days Jo nursed her husband in their rooms upstairs at the Shamrock, but he gradually weakened and died on 20 November. Harry was just 41-years-old, and the family was devastated.He was buried the next day in the Catholic section of Karori Cemetery in plot 15W.
In early 1919 Jo Oben paid 5 pounds to the Wellington City Council for exclusive rights of burial in perpetuity of Lot 15 Path W of the Roman Catholic section of Wellington Cemetery, later known as Karori Cemetery.
Harry was a member of the Licensed Victuallers' Association and took a great interest in many sports, especially rugby. To support the war effort, he enlisted in 1916, appearing on the army's reserve roll.
Harry became ill with influenza a few days after Armistice Day and his family believe he caught it from returning soldiers before the Government closed hotels in Wellington on 18 November. For three days Jo nursed her husband in their rooms upstairs at the Shamrock, but he gradually weakened and died on 20 November. Harry was just 41-years-old, and the family was devastated.He was buried the next day in the Catholic section of Karori Cemetery in plot 15W.
In early 1919 Jo Oben paid 5 pounds to the Wellington City Council for exclusive rights of burial in perpetuity of Lot 15 Path W of the Roman Catholic section of Wellington Cemetery, later known as Karori Cemetery.
Harry’s grave in Karori Cemetery’s Roman Catholic section Plot 15 W
Photo supplied by Teresa Smart Underhill, granddaughter
Photo supplied by Teresa Smart Underhill, granddaughter
His widow Jo later managed the Martinborough Hotel and the Thistle Inn in Wellington. She moved to Sydney with her daughters in 1927 and bought the Royal Oak Hotel, Balmain, returning to New Zealand a few years later. Jo died in 1956 aged 79 and was buried with her beloved Harry at Karori.
Researched by Jenny Robertson and written by Teresa Smart Underhill and Mary Smart
Researched by Jenny Robertson and written by Teresa Smart Underhill and Mary Smart