J. Valentine Smith

John Valentine Smith (1824 – 10 February 1895) was a New Zealand landowner, militia leader, and politician.

[1] He was involved in Charles Enderby's scheme in the late 1840s of turning the Auckland Islands into a Crown colony for Britain.

[2] Smith was a significant figure in the Wairarapa region, owning the prominent Lansdowne, Annedale, and Mataikona runs.

[1] He was elected on 26 November 1855 to represent the Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay electorate in the 2nd New Zealand Parliament, but resigned on 10 March 1858 before the end of his term.

Many people, including Isaac Featherston, the Superintendent of Wellington Province, believed that the construction of stockade would make conflict more likely, but after much work, Smith was able to convince the government to fund the project.