James Donald (politician)

Donald was born in Auckland on 13 October 1879.[1] He was the second son of Mr. Alexander Bell Donald, a local merchant and trader, who owned the firm of Donald and Edeuborough. Donald studied at Queen's College and then entered his father's profession and would later become the firm's managing director. By the age of 48 he became a justice of the peace.[1]

He won the Auckland East electorate off Labour's John A. Lee in 1928, by 37 votes (Lee put his loss down to alterations in the electorate boundary with Parnell to keep the two Auckland race-courses in a "wet" electorate).[2] According to Olsen, Lee's opponent was "a staunch anti-militarist who had been gaoled during the [Great] war".[3] He was a cabinet minister from 1928 to 1931 in the United Government (Postmaster-General, Minister of Telegraphs, and Minister in charge of Public Service Superannuation, Friendly Societies, and National Provident Fund Departments).[4]

When he retired (to general surprise) in 1931, the electorate went back to Labour[5] due to vote-splitting as there were four anti-Labour candidates: W. H. Horton from United, H. P. Burton (who came second) and Ellen Melville from Reform and an Independent J. A. Arthur. This handed the seat back to Labour on a plate.[6]

In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[7] In 1935 he stood again for the Auckland East seat as the newly formed Democrat Party's candidate. He placed third out of four candidates.[8]

He was later appointed a Knight Bachelor, for services to the community, in the 1969 New Year Honours.[9]