William MacDonald (New Zealand politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix = The Honourable

|name = William MacDonald

|honorific-suffix =

|image = William Donald Stuart Macdonald, circa 1910.jpg

|caption = William MacDonald in ca 1910

|order1 = 7th Leader of the Opposition

|term_start1 = 21 January 1920

|term_end1 = 31 August 1920

|deputy1 = Thomas Wilford

|predecessor1 = Joseph Ward

|successor1 = Thomas Wilford

|order2 = 8th Minister of Agriculture

|term_start2 = 12 August 1915

|term_end2 = 22 August 1919

|primeminister2 = William Massey

|predecessor2 = William Massey

|successor2 = William Nosworthy

|order3 = 14th Minister of Public Works

|term_start3 = 28 March 1912

|term_end3 = 10 July 1912

|primeminister3 = Thomas Mackenzie

|predecessor3 = Roderick McKenzie

|successor3 = William Fraser

|constituency_MP5 = {{NZ electorate link|Bay of Plenty}}

|parliament5 = New Zealand

|term_start5 = 17 November 1908

|term_end5 = 31 August 1920

|predecessor5 = William Herries

|successor5 = Kenneth Williams

|birth_date = 1862

|birth_place = Meningwort, Colony of Victoria

|death_date = 31 August 1920

|death_place = Wellington, New Zealand

|spouse =

|party = Liberal

|religion =

|profession =

}}

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

Biography

=Early life=

MacDonald was born in Meningwort. Victoria in 1862 and was a noted horseman in his youth.{{cite book |first = Joseph Angus |last = Mackay |title = The Bay of Plenty Seat |url = https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-MacHist-t1-body-d38-d7-d5.html |place = Gisborne, [N.Z.] |publisher = Joseph Angus Mackay |year = 1949 |pages = 359 }} He emigrated to Poverty Bay in New Zealand in 1882 where he became a pastoralist.{{sfn|Hamer|1988|p=364}} He worked in shepherding for several years and then became overseer of Ngatapa station. He then managed land at Papatu before doing likewise at two properties owned by Alexander Creighton Arthur at Matawhero and Whatatutu. In 1887 he became manager of the Bank of New Zealand estates at Gisborne, 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.{{cite news |title=Obituary |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19200902.2.52 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=2 September 1920 |access-date=1 June 2020 |issue=18030 |page=5 }} He also managed several sheep stations during his career such as at Tokomaru Bay and Lorne station (the latter of which he owned).{{cite book |first = Joseph Angus |last = Mackay |title = Historic Poverty Bay and the East Coast, N.I., N.Z. |url = https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-MacHist-t1-body-d38-d7.html#n408 |place = Gisborne, [N.Z.] |publisher = Joseph Angus Mackay |year = 1949 |pages = 358–359}}

His political career began in local politics. He served as a member of the Waiapu County Council, Tokomaru Harbour Board and Waiapu Hospital Board, and was later the first chairman of Waikohu County Council.

=Member of Parliament=

{{NZ parlbox|electorate=Bay of Plenty|party=New Zealand Liberal Party|start=1908|end=1911|term=17th}}

{{NZ parlbox|electorate=Bay of Plenty|party=New Zealand Liberal Party|start=1911|end=1914|term=18th}}

{{NZ parlbox|electorate=Bay of Plenty|party=New Zealand Liberal Party|start=1914|end=1919|term=19th}}

{{NZ parlbox|electorate=Bay of Plenty|party=New Zealand Liberal Party|start=1919|end=1920|term=20th}}

He was Member of the House of Representatives for the Bay of Plenty from 1908 to 1920. Unlike most of his Liberal Party colleagues MacDonald was a freeholder in regards to land ownership.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TAN19081203.2.14 |title=The Second Ballot |date=3 December 1908 |work=Te Aroha News |access-date=1 June 2020 |volume=XXVII |issue=4344 |page=2 }} He rose rapidly through the ranks and in 1910 he became senior party whip.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=279}} He served as Minister of Public Works and Minister of Native Affairs in the short lived 1912 cabinet of Thomas Mackenzie.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=75}} 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.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|pp=76, 214}}

In 1919 MacDonald deputised several times for Sir Joseph Ward while he was overseas. On one such occasion in May he called a caucus meeting to discuss the coalition between the Liberal and Reform parties where a majority of members voted in favour of ending the arrangement upon Ward's return. MacDonald was himself unsure the correct decision was reached and he cabled Ward for his opinion, who agreed with the consensus in the caucus. Consequently, MacDonald worked with his colleagues (particularly George Warren Russell and Thomas Wilford) to develop an updated policy manifesto for the next election.{{sfn|Bassett|1993|p=243}} Following Ward's failure to gain re-election to parliament at the 1919 general election, MacDonald assumed the leadership.{{sfn|Bassett|1993|p=248}} A month later he was formally elected to replace him as leader of the Liberal Party unopposed.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/PATM19200123.2.11 |title=The Liberal Leadership |date=23 January 1920 |work=Patea Mail |access-date=8 August 2016 |page=3 }} 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.{{cite news |title=Death of Liberal Leader |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HNS19200901.2.17 |volume= LIII|issue=160743 |date=1 September 1920 |work=Wanganui Herald |access-date=1 June 2020 |page=4 }}

MacDonald died suddenly in his Kelburn home of a heart attack aged 56. He left a widow, two sons and three daughters.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HNS19200901.2.17 |title=Obituary |date=1 September 1920 |work=Hawera & Normanby Star |access-date=8 August 2016 |page=4 }}

Notes

References

{{cite book |last=Bassett |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Bassett |title=Sir Joseph Ward: A Political Biography |publisher=Auckland University Press |location=Auckland |year=1993 }}
{{Cite book |last=Hamer |first=David A. |author-link=D. A. Hamer |title=The New Zealand Liberals: The Years of Power, 1891–1912 |year=1988 |place=Auckland |publisher=Auckland University Press |isbn=1-86940-014-3 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/newzealandlibera0000hame }}
{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher= V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc=154283103}}

External links

[https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-MacHist-t1-body-d38-d7-d5.html Bay of Plenty MPs 1893-1941]