William MacDonald (New Zealand politician)

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

The Honourable William MacDonald
William MacDonald in ca 1910
7th Leader of the Opposition
In office 21 January 1920 – 31 August 1920
Deputy	Thomas Wilford
Preceded by	Joseph Ward
Succeeded by	Thomas Wilford
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Bay of Plenty
In office 17 November 1908 – 31 August 1920
Preceded by	William Herries
Succeeded by	Kenneth Williams
Personal details
Born	1862 Victoria, Australia
Died	31 August 1920 Wellington, New Zealand
Political party	Liberal

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. "Obituary". Otago Daily Times (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. XXVII (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. LIII (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

• Hamer, David A. (1988). The New Zealand Liberals: The Years of Power, 1891–1912. Auckland: Auckland University Press. ISBN 1-86940-014-3.

External links

• Bay of Plenty MPs 1893-1941

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 requires |journal= (help)
• Reprinted from the Poverty Bay Herald, Friday May 8th, 1914, p.2.