Thomas MacKenzie

Born in Edinburgh, 1854, Thomas MacKenzie came to New Zealand in the Robert Henderson, with his parents at the age of four. He was educated at Green Island School and at the Stone School, both of Dunedin.

Following his schooling, he took positions in commercial offices in Dunedin and Port Chalmers, and later joined the Survey department, aged 20, in Wellington.

In 1877 he retuned to the south, starting his public career on the Balclutha borough council from 1881 to 1887. During that time he was mayor for two years. Having sold his business, MacKenzie was elected as Member for Clutha in 1887, he represented the electorate until 1896, when he retired from politics for a few years.

In 1889 MacKenzie was commissioned by the Government to inquire into the produce trade in Great Britain, and in 1894 was a member of the tariff commission.

The resignation of Sir John McKenzie in 1900 offered the opportunity of re-entering Parliament, and MacKenzie became the Member for Waihemo, winning the seat both in 1902 and 1905. During this time he held a number of local public positions.

Following a boundary change, MacKenzie lost his seat in 1908, and was next elected for Taieri. He again lost this at the next election for a similar reason, but was returned as Member for Egmont. MacKenzie had moved towards the Liberal party, and after the 1908 election he joined the Ward cabinet as Minister of Industries and Commerce and later of Agriculture, Tourists and Health Resorts (6 January 1909). At the elections of 1911 the ministry received a setback, and on Parliament assembling the Government was saved by the casting vote of the Speaker. Ward resigned and MacKenzie was elected leader of the Liberal Party. He took office on 28 March 1912, but as soon as Parliament met his party was defeated, and he resigned office on 10 July 1912.

MacKenzie resigned his seat in Parliament to accept the high commissionership in London, which he administered until 1920, during which time he was a delegate at the Versailles peace conference in 1919. On returning to New Zealand, MacKenzie was called on to the Legislative Council and he was a member until his death on 14 February 1930.