Russell was born in London, England, in 1854. His father was a bricklayer and builder. The family emigrated to Tasmania when he was still a child, and then moved again to New Zealand in 1864. Russell worked as an apprentice journalist, before trying to become a Wesleyan Methodist minister. When that was unsuccessful, he returned to journalism, working on the Evening Chronicle in Wellington and founding the Manawatu Herald in Foxton. He moved to Christchurch in 1889. In 1898, he took over the Spectator, a magazine he would edit until 1928.
Political career
Russell contested the in the electorate, where he was third of six candidates, beaten by James Wilson. He unsuccessfully contested the electorate in the ; he was beaten by John Blair Whyte. He first entered Parliament as MHR for Riccarton in. A member of the Liberal Party's "left" wing, he was a strong critic of Premier Richard Seddon, and at the 1896 election attempted to form a Radical Party to push for stronger reforms. He maintained only a tenuous hold on his electorate, losing it in 1896 to William Rolleston, but regaining it in 1899 with a majority of one vote over Rolleston, which brought an end to that political career. Russell lost the Riccarton electorate again in 1902. In 1908, he won the Avon electorate, and held it for the next 11 years. Russell was considered a possible Liberal leader in 1912 when Joseph Ward resigned, and served in the cabinet of Thomas Mackenzie. He later served in the wartime National cabinet, holding the portfolios of Internal Affairs, Public Health and Hospitals, as well as a number of lesser responsibilities. As Minister of Public Health, he was responsible for the decision to allow the Niagara to dock in Auckland in 1918, and was blamed for the resulting Spanish Flu epidemic which killed at least 8000 New Zealanders. As a result, he lost his electorate in the 1919 election. He unsuccessfully contested the 1921 by-election for Auckland East, and Avon again in the 1922 general election, but was never again elected to Parliament. In 1935, Russell was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.
