Capt. William Cornwallis Symonds

William Cornwallis Symonds was one of the first six Police Magistrates in New Zealand and Chief Magistrate of Auckland. He was born in Hampshire, England, on 1 August 1910 to William and Elizabeth Symonds (nee Luscombe).

William was commissioned into the 38th Foot. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1832, transferred to the 74th Foot in 1835, and was promoted Captain in 1838.

William arrived in New Zealand in the early 1830s as an agent of the Waitemata and Manukau Land Company. He was instrumental in the founding of Auckland and played a part in the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in February 1841. William was a friend of Governor William Hobson and one of his closest and most effective officials and was one of the first six Police Magistrates in New Zealand.

On 18 September 1840, William, Chief Magistrate of Auckland, raised the Union Jack proclaiming the founding ofAuckland, the new capital of New Zealand. In 1841 he was appointed Deputy Surveyor-General of New Zealand. During 1841, Symonds accompanied the naturalist Dieffenbach in his survey of the North Island. On 3 May 1841, Symonds was appointed to the original Legislative Council.

Symonds Street (and by extension the Cemetery) was named after William, although he is not buried there. William's brother Captain John Jermyn Symonds (1819-1883) also lived in Auckland and Symonds Street in Onehunga is named after him. The brothers were related to the General Cornwallis who surrendered at Yorktown during the American War of Independence.

William intended to create a settlement on the Manukau Harbour at Cornwallis. The Maori name for that place was Karangahape and Karangahape Road (including what is now Lower Symonds street) was part of the route taken to reach that place - hence the name.

Symonds and two others drowned in the Manukau Harbour on 23 November 1841 while on an errand of mercy. The United Service Magazine lamented, "Thus miserably perished one of the finest young men in the British Service. Capt. Symonds - has found an early grave in the public service, and in the immediate performance of an act of humanity at great personal hazard".