Michael Moohan

Hon. Michael Moohan MP
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
Personal details
Born	1899 Garrison, County Fermanagh
Died	7 February 1967 (aged 67–68)
Nationality	Ireland
Political party	Labour
Spouse(s)	Cecilia Hayman

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

Early life

Born in Garrison, County Fermanagh, Ireland he served in the British Army in World War I, and emigrated to New Zealand in 1919. In 1923 he married Cecilia Hayman; they had one son and four daughters.

Member of Parliament

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1946–1949	Labour
1949–1951	29th	Petone		Labour
1951–1954	Labour
1954–1957	Labour
1957–1960	Labour
1960–1963	Labour
1963–1966	Labour
1966–1967	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.^[1]

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 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.

References

1. ^ Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand parliamentary record, 1840-1984 (4 ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103. 

• Rail: The Great New Zealand Adventure by Roy Sinclair (1987, Grantham House Wellington) ISBN 1869340132 (Moohan Rocket, page 82)
• Who's Who in New Zealand (1961, 7th edition)

Political offices
Preceded by John McAlpine	Minister of Railways 1957 – 1960	Succeeded by John McAlpine
Parliament of New Zealand
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Petone 1946 – 1967	Succeeded by Fraser Colman

Persondata
Name	Moohan, Michael
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1899
Place of birth	Garrison, County Fermanagh
Date of death	7 February 1967
Place of death