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William MacDonald (New Zealand politician)

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The Honourable
William MacDonald
William MacDonald in ca 1910
7th Leader of the Opposition
In office
21 January 1920 – 31 August 1920
DeputyThomas Wilford
Preceded byJoseph Ward
Succeeded byThomas Wilford
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Bay of Plenty
In office
17 November 1908 – 31 August 1920
Preceded byWilliam Herries
Succeeded byKenneth Williams
Personal details
Born1862
Victoria, Australia
Died31 August 1920
Wellington, New Zealand
Political partyLiberal

William Donald Stuart MacDonald (1862 – 31 August 1920) was a New Zealand politician, Cabinet Minister, and briefly Leader of the Opposition.

Biography

Early life

MacDonald was born in Victoria in 1862. He emigrated to Poverty Bay in New Zealand in 1882 where he became a pastoralist.[1] Several years after arriving in New Zealand he became manager of the Bank of New Zealand estates at Gisborne in 1887, a position which he occupied until 1902. Also during this period he conducted a large amount of agricultural development work, clearing 70,000 acres of bush into farmland.[2] He also managed several sheep stations during his career.[3]

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1908–1911 17th Bay of Plenty Liberal
1911–1914 18th Bay of Plenty Liberal
1914–1919 19th Bay of Plenty Liberal
1919–1920 20th Bay of Plenty Liberal

He was Member of the House of Representatives for the Bay of Plenty from 1908 to 1920. He served as Minister of Public Works and Minister of Native Affairs in the short lived 1912 cabinet of Thomas Mackenzie. He also served in the wartime (1915–19) National cabinet as Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Mines and Minister in Charge of the Legislative, Public Buildings, Inspection of Machinery, State Fire and Accident Insurance Departments.[4] Unlike most of his Liberal Party colleagues MacDonald was a freeholder in regards to land ownership.[5]

In 1919, following Joseph Ward's failure to gain re-election to parliament, MacDonald was elected leader of the Liberal Party.[6] He filled that role until his death in 1920.

Death

Macdonald's health had deteriorated after he broke his arm in an accident in mid-1919. Not long before his death he took leave from his Parliamentary duties for several weeks in order to go on a health recuperating visit to Auckland, leaving his deputy Thomas Wilford to act as Leader of the Opposition. Macdonald recovered following the treatment and resumed his seat in Parliament and was still speaking in the house the day before he died.[7]

MacDonald died suddenly in his Kelburn home of a heart attack aged 56. He left a widow, two sons and three daughters.[8][2]

Notes

  1. ^ Hamer 1988, p. 364.
  2. ^ a b "Obituary". Otago Daily Times. No. 18030. 2 September 1920. p. 5. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  3. ^ Mackay, Joseph Angus (1949). Historic Poverty Bay and the East Coast, N.I., N.Z.. Gisborne, [N.Z.]: Joseph Angus Mackay. pp. 358–359.
  4. ^ Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. pp. 76, 214. OCLC 154283103.
  5. ^ "The Second Ballot". Te Aroha News. Vol. XXVII, no. 4344. 3 December 1908. p. 2. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  6. ^ "The Liberal Leadership". Patea Mail. 23 January 1920. p. 3. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Death of Liberal Leader". Wanganui Herald. Vol. LIII, no. 160743. 1 September 1920. p. 4. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Obituary". Hawera & Normanby Star. 1 September 1920. p. 4. Retrieved 8 August 2016.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Donald Stuart Macdonald.

Further reading

  • MacDonald, William Donald Stuart (1914). "Liberal campaign: speech delivered by Mr. W.D.S. Macdonald, M.P. for Bay of Plenty, at Te Karaka, May 7th, 1914". Gisborne, [N.Z.]: Printed at the Herald Office. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  • Reprinted from the Poverty Bay Herald, Friday May 8th, 1914, p.2.
Political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition
1919–1920 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Agriculture
1915-1919 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Mines
1915-1919 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Public Works
1912
Preceded by Minister of Native Affairs
1912 		Succeeded by
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Bay of Plenty
1908–1920 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Liberal Party
1919–1920 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Senior Whip of the Liberal Party
1910–1912 		Succeeded by
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