LONG CAREER ENDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 897, 14 February 1930, Page 1

LONG CAREER ENDS

SIR THOMAS MACKENZIE DEAD

SERVICES TO NEW ZEALAND One of the outstanding figures in New Zealand political and public life, Sir Thomas Mackenzie, died at Dunedin shortly after midnight last evening. He was 76 years of age and the cause of his fatal illness was angina pectoris. Though he was not a New Zealander by birth, Sir Thomas Mackenzie began his successful career in this country. He was born in Edinburgh on March 10, 1554 and, in his boyhood came to the Dominion, where he was educated at the Otago Boys’ High School, Dunedin, and by private tuition From his youth he displayed a keen interest in civic and political affairs and .in ISB7 he became member for Clutha in the House of Representatives, holding his seat until 1896. After a lapse of four years he again entered public life and was elected to Parliament for the constituency of Waihemo In the years that followed he successfully represented Waikouaiti, Taieri, and after a removal of his headquarters to the North Island, Egmont, resigning in 1912. In 1909 he joined Sir Joseph Ward’s Ministry and for the three years that followed was Minister of Agriculture. FATE OF MINISTRY In 1912 Sir Thomas made a bid for still greater honour in political life, and for six months was Prime Minister, but his Ministry was defeated and he later accepted the office of High Commissioner for New Zealand in London. The years that followed were trying but successful ones for him and represented a period of service for the Dominion overseas that embraced the Great War and its aftermath of difficult work and reorganisation. He performed notable work for New Zealand and was a member of the Dardanelles Royal Commission. After the armistice he signed the Treaty of Peace with Austria on behalf of New Zealand. For his distinguished services on behalf of New Zealand, Sir Thomas was created K.C.M.G. in 1916 and a few years later G.C.M.G. He was made a Grand Officer of the Crown of Belgium for outstanding services to that nation. On his return to New Zealand Sir Thomas was appointed a member of the Legislative Council.

PUBLIC POSITIONS During his earlier career Sir Thomas held many worthy public positions in New Zealand. He was at various times Mayor of Roslyn. Dunedin, treasurer of the Otago High School Boards, Governor representing New Zealand on the Imperial Institute and, in 1888, representative of the New Zealand Government in Australia. He was a member of New Zealand Royal Commissions on education and tariffs, and chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of Trade, besides which, in the course of his political activities he held the portfolios of Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Post-master-General, State Forests, Tourist and Health Resorts, and other minor departments. In private life he had been engaged in commerce, land-surveying and farming. In 1889 he was sent Home as New Zealand Trade Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and while there was a member of the Royal Commission on Tariff. In his younger days Sir Thomas Mackenzie took part in many explorations in the forests, lakes and sounds of the West Coast of the South Island. He was associated with Quinton McKinnon when that explorer discovered McKinnon Pass. Lady Mackenzie died in 1926, and Sir Thomas leaves five sons and one daughter. They are Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie, o*f Auckland, Mr. David Mackenzie, of Invercargill, Mr. Cusac Mackenzie, of Balclutha, Dr. Bruce Mackenzie, Mr. Clutha Mackenzie, director of the Institute for the Blind, and Mrs. Helen McDonald, wife of Captain A. V. McDonald, of the Indian Army. A second daughter was the late Mrs. Howard Ellis, of Suva.