THE MAKERS OF OTAGO

Hokitika Guardian, 22 February 1930, Page 3

THE MAKERS OF OTAGO

PIONEERS OF THE PROVINCE

(Written lor the Otago Daily Times.)

JAMES MACANDREW, 1820-1887 No personality in the OtagO' colony commanded) more whole-heartedly the affection and loyalty of the people than did James Macandrew., He was a leader after their own heart, one whom adversity, .contumely, and-his own mistakes could' not displace from his position. .

Born at Aberdeen in 1820, Macandrew . was educated there and at the Ayr Academy, and then went into mercantile life. Finally he got to London where his training was completed. Equipped with unbounded energy and optimism lie entered upon the battle of life. In 1845, while still in business in London Macandrew became a member of the London branch of the Otago Lay Association ; not an inconsiderable member, either, for he is to have

imported into their discussions' and their negotiations with the Colonial Office great industry and tact and an untiring spirit of - hopefulness. , Having decided upon emigration for

himself, Macandrew in 1850 purchased

the iron schooner Titan, of 161 tons loaded her with merchandise on account of himself and his friends, including. W....R. Reynolds (his brother-in-law), and sailed with his family and a. select party. They arrived in Otago on January 17, 1851. As soon as lie set foot ashore Macandrew became a '.-leading.'-'spirit, and a member of the Constitutional Association which was agitating for self-government for the colony. He established his business on a commanding site at the corner of Manse and Stafford streets, and while Hie srtre was being erected he visited in his schooner the northern settle- ; ments of New Zealand to see how they were, developing. From the very beginning his remarkable energy was matched by an unconquerable confidence in the (future of the colony. With Reynolds on hoard, the Titan sailed the broad Pacific, selling Otago produce in Australia and California, and bringing back merchandise and live •.stock for the stores and farms of the province. Macandrew assisted in the establishment of limekilns in the Kaikorai Valley and of flourmills at Green Island. He despatched the first shipment of wool direct to London. In the yards of .James Adam he had two ships built, the Star of the Bon Accord, but the-yards were before their time and closed down. Macandrew had a passion for communications, and he infected the Provincial Council with it. In "1.858-he employed the Queen in the in-ter-colonial and coastal trade. As the first- steamer which visited Dunedin j ..rtieyroeeived. a salute oh 24 guns when | she dropped her anchor in the harbour J The Pirate and the Pride of the Yarra followed under. , his auspices. He always'advocated a fast mail service %ith Great' Britain, and originated that via Panama. So convinced was he- of the need of such services that he once persuaded the Provincial Council to sell sheep runs wholesale in order to obtain money to buy ships. He took I a Hading part in promoting the break- | water at Oamaru, the Dunedin-Port Chalmers and the Clutha railways, and he moved in the Council for the construction of the graving dock, which as Superintendent he opened. He put the Queen on to call regularly at the Bluff when Riverton was the only centre of population of Southland. He made an arduous journey himself to Southland, and erected the first building «n the site of Invercargill. The confidence of the people of Otago in the sagacity and good faith of Macandrew was unshakable. When the first Provincial Council was elected in 1853 ho was returned for the Dunedin Country district, and when the Council met he was elected to the Speaker’s chair, which he vacated a few days later to become a member of the executive. The day after his election to the Council he was returned unopposed as a member of the House of Representatives for Dunedin. Here, too, lie took - a leading position. It was he who moved that each sitting should open with prayer to Divine Providence, and, after a. long fight, the form of prayer was adopted. Macandrew had the distinction of being a member of the first executive (in 1854), before the introduction of responsible government.

' lii the province his position continued to become more substantial. He was it member of the first Town Board of Dunedin in 1855. For three years . ((1856-59) he was Speaker of the Provincial Council, .anil when Cargill retired at therein! of 1859 he. was elected Superintendent as the natural sue-, cessor. There is no question that with his undoubted ability, his patient sincerity, his wonderful optimism, and his magnetic influence over the affections of his fellow-men, he could in a few years have attained to the highest position in New Zealand.. A painful incident prevented that. A shortage was disclosed in the public funds in connection with emigration. Called to account, Macandrew indignantly repudiated ; any. dishonesty,, complained that the investigation was prompted by hostile parties in the province, and, meeting it,with contumacy, was declared guilty by the council, and on its petition removed from the Superintendency. Richardson assumed tl)e superintendency under the constitutional and was duly elected in June 1861, but such was the confidence of the people in the. integrity of Macandrew that he actually polled 189 votes against Richardson's 292: though he fought the lenurv paign from within the walls of the prison.

By 1565 Macandrew was again in the General Assembly as the representative of Bruce, and two years later when the Superintendency again fell vacant, ho stood again, defeated Thomas Dick by 2250 votes to 1302, and was fever again in danger of being displaced. At the last Supcrintendeiicy election, in 1873, he polled 3702 votes,-.Gilles being only 2750 and Graham 26. The faith I and affecton of the people of Otago never altered. He was their David, but as a biographer has said, “the excellent talents cf economy and administration were denied to him. His mind was never disciplined, nor was his judgment sound. Ho was given a specious and original genius which' enabled him to initiate many important public movements and to see further into the future than the men who made better ministers of public works. He set a pre-eminent example of patriotism and public spirit.”

For the remainer of the provincial period 1867-76,'Macandrew was the un-

disputed Superintendent of Otago. In colonial politics Grey, who was one of his greatest personal friends, took him into his Ministry in 1877-78 as Secretary for Lands and Minister of Immigration and Public Works, and lie was in the Stout-Vogel Government of 1884

He represented Clutha from 1866-70, Port Chalmers from 1871-75, Dunedin City from 1875-79. and Port Chalmers

again in 1879 to the day of his deatli

While in Grey’s Ministry he obtained from Parliament the authorisation of three great railways, the North Island Alain Trunk, and Midland, and tire Otago Central. He strongly favoured easier terms of land settlement, and obtained the insertion in the Land Bill of 1884 of a clause providing grants of land to Highland crofters. He considered they would make excellent .settlevs, and, with his customary optimism pictured 40.000 faniiles being brought up under his scheme. He was a firm believer in the union of English-speak-ing neonles as a .factor in securing the peace of the world, and on his motion in 1885 Parliament parried a resolution embodyng this nsniration.

1 As a Scot, Maeandrews interest in education amounted almost to a religion. He was active in the setting apart of large landed reserves from the provincial estate for this purpose. In 1869 he gave valuable evidence before a parliamentary committee in favour of a university in Dunedin, and when Parliament refused to accede tc. lu v proposals he introduced them in the provincial Council. The University was eventually founded in 1870 under a provincial ordinance. Alacandrew was n member of the University Council w HI bis death. It was the last public body that he attended; and on his death K, 'd he remarked :• “It is my wish and hope that Otago University will get " royal character to grant degrees. It

is a matter I have had much at I'-

'for many years.” As Superintendent Macandrew took a keen interest in tV founding of the Normal Training College in Dunedin, the Benevolent 1 *4 n, the Industrial School at Caversham, and the Otago Boys’ High School.

It could never he said of Alacandrew that he placed his own interest first. A political opponent in the province once remarked of him that “he was a fool for his own interest,” and critical enough biographer wrote after his deat], “Neither as a member of the community nor as a politician can selfishness be written against the name-of James Macandrew.” His .weakness -was . his “absolute lack of business capacity or attention to detail.” He. imagined onua generous scale, but could not study tire minutiae of his scheme. He never imagined with an eve to profit or prajse for himself. His whole thought was, for’the good of the province and the colohy.

Macandrew died on February 23, 1887 as the result of a bliggv accident. Tie left a considerable family.