David Murdoch (politician)
{{Short description|New Zealand politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = The Honourable
|name = David Murdoch
|honorific-suffix =
|image =
|alt =
|caption =
|office2 = Member of the New Zealand Legislative Council
|term_start2 = 22 June 1950
|term_end2 = 31 December 1950
|birth_name =
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1887|01|23|df=y}}
|birth_place = Ngapara, New Zealand
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1960|06|10|1887|01|23|df=y}}
|death_place = Dunedin, New Zealand
|party =
|spouse = {{marriage|Rebecca Espie|1917}}
|relations =
|children =
|alma_mater =
|profession =
}}
David Murdoch (23 January 1887 – 10 June 1960) was a New Zealand farmer, storekeeper and politician. He was appointed a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council on 22 June 1950.
Biography
Born at Ngapara in North Otago on 23 January 1887, Murdoch was the son of Alexander Murdoch and Alice Hunter Murdoch (née Howden).{{cite web |url= https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search/search?path=%2FqueryEntry.m%3Ftype%3Dbirths |title=Birth search: registration number 1887/516 |website=Births, deaths & marriages online |publisher=Department of Internal Affairs |access-date=8 April 2021}}{{cite news |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OAM18870124.2.6 |title=Birth |date=24 January 1887 |work=The Oamaru Mail |page=2 |volume=X |issue=3285 |access-date=8 April 2021}}
Murdoch took up farming, and was a sheep farmer at Waitahuna for many years, serving as president of the Waitahuna Agricultural and Pastoral Society and on local branch committees of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. Prior to becoming politically active, he was best known as a judge at sheep dog trials.{{cite news |title=General election |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19430727.2.11 |access-date=16 April 2021 |work=Otago Daily Times |issue=25288 |date=27 July 1943 |page=2}} In the 1930s, he became a storekeeper at Brighton, south of Dunedin, where he remained for 15 years, and served as president of the local football and bowling clubs.{{cite news |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19500623.2.51 |title=Legislative Council |date=23 June 1950 |work=Otago Daily Times |page=6 |issue=27423 |access-date=8 April 2021}}
Murdoch was the National candidate in the {{NZ electorate link|Dunedin South}} electorate in {{NZ election link year|1943}} and in {{NZ electorate link|Dunedin Central}} electorate in {{NZ election link year|1949}}, but was unsuccessful on both occasions.{{cite web |title = The General Election, 1943 |url = http://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&cl=search&d=AJHR1944-I.2.2.5.37 |publisher = National Library |access-date = 28 March 2014 |page = 11 |year = 1944}}{{cite web |title=The General Election, 1949 |url= http://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&d=AJHR1950-I.2.3.2.43 |publisher=National Library |access-date=3 January 2014 |pages=1–5, 8 |year=1950}} He stood for selection in the St Kilda electorate for the {{NZ election link year|1946}} but lost to Leonard James Ireland.{{cite news |title=The election |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19460814.2.30 |access-date=16 April 2021 |work=Otago Daily Times |issue=26230 |date=14 August 1946 |page=4}} He served as the chair of the Otago–Southland division of the National Party.{{cite news |url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG19500623.2.11 |title=Upper house |date=23 June 1953 |work=Ashburton Guardian |page=2 |volume=70 |issue=212 |access-date=16 April 2021}} In 1950, he was appointed to the Legislative Council as a member of the suicide squad nominated by the First National Government to vote for the abolition of the council. Most of the new members (like Murdoch) were appointed on 22 June 1950, and served until 31 December 1950 when the council was abolished.{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= J.O. |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year= 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher= V.R. Ward, Government Printer |location= Wellington |page=159}}
Family
On 5 April 1917, Murdoch married Reba Rebecca Golden Muir Espie,{{cite web |url=https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search/search?path=%2FqueryEntry.m%3Ftype%3Dmarriages |title=Marriage search: registration number 1917/3850 |website=Births, deaths & marriages online |publisher=Department of Internal Affairs |access-date=17 April 2021}} and the couple went on to have three sons. Murdoch died in Dunedin on 10 June 1960.{{cite web |url= https://www.dunedin.govt.nz/services/cemeteries/cemeteries-search?recordid=130594&type=Cremation |title=Cemeteries search |publisher=Dunedin City Council |access-date=8 April 2021}} His wife died a few months later, on 1 December the same year.{{cite web |url= https://www.dunedin.govt.nz/services/cemeteries/cemeteries-search?recordid=130864&type=Cremation |title=Cemeteries search |publisher=Dunedin City Council |access-date=17 April 2021}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murdoch, David}}
Category:Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council
Category:New Zealand National Party MLCs
Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1943 New Zealand general election
Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1949 New Zealand general election