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Robert Macalister

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Sir Robert Macalister
26th Mayor of Wellington
In office
1950–1956
DeputyWilliam Stevens (1950-53)
Ernest Toop (1953-56)
Preceded byWill Appleton
Succeeded byFrank Kitts
Personal details
Born(1890-12-02)2 December 1890
Blenheim, New Zealand
Died23 May 1967(1967-05-23) (aged 76)
Wellington, New Zealand
SpouseKatherine Fitzgerald
Alma materVictoria University
ProfessionLawyer
Signature

Sir Robert Lachlan Macalister (2 December 1890 – 23 May 1967) was the Mayor of Wellington from 1950 to 1956, and had been the acting mayor for five months in 1948 during the absence overseas of Will Appleton.

Early life

Macalister was born in Blenheim and moved to Wellington in his youth to study at Victoria University where he qualified as a Lawyer.[1] He then enlisted in the military and served during World War I and once returning he became a member of the War Relief Association.[1] He was a barrister and solicitor by trade and worked at the same legal firm as Ossie Mazengarb. The firm of Mazengarb, Hay and Macalister was founded in 1918 and quickly became one of the largest law practices in Wellington.[2] In 1919 he married Katherine Featherston Fitzgerald.

Political career

In 1933 he stood for council on a Civic League ticket and was narrowly elected on the first count. However, after special votes were counted he lost his seat to the Labour Party's Peter Butler.[3] He was elected a member of the Wellington City Council in 1938[4] and served until 1950 when he was elected Mayor. Macalister served as Mayor until 1956. He was also a member of the Wellington Harbour Board from 1942 to 1956.[5]

In the 1956 Queen's Birthday Honours, Macalister was appointed a Knight Bachelor, in recognition of his service as mayor of Wellington.[6]

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Who's Who for the Elections". Evening Post. Vol. CXXV, no. 107. 9 May 1938. p. 6. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  2. ^ Barton, G. P. "Mazengarb, Oswald Chettle". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  3. ^ "Mr. Butler Elected". Evening Post. Vol. CXV, no. 14. 9 May 1933. p. 8. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Wellington City Council". Evening Post. Vol. CXXV, no. 115. 18 May 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  5. ^ Johnson, David (1996). "Members and Officers of the Wellington Harbour Board, Appendix 1". Wellington Harbour. Wellington Maritime Museum Trust. p. 478. ISBN 0958349800.
  6. ^ "No. 40789". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 31 May 1956. p. 3143.

References

No Mean City by Stuart Perry (1969, Wellington City Council) includes a paragraph and a portrait or photo for each mayor.

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Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Wellington
1950–1956 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Mayor of Wellington
1947–1950 		Succeeded by
William Stevens
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