William MacDonald (New Zealand politician)

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]

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.

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]