McDONALD, JAMES (1837-1900) was born in Scotland. He was a lime merchant and operated a small kiln on Otago Peninsula. In 1876 he purchased the lime kiln portion of the Horseshoe Bush estate, near Milburn, and laid a railway to his limeburning kilns, of which in 1881 he had three. In 1886 he erected cement works in Dunedin (at Vogel and Cumberland streets). Shortly afterwards his business was acquired by the Milburn Lime and Cement Co. He died on 12 Mar 1900.

In 1888 McDonald defeated Robert Gillies for the Bruce parliamentary seat, and in the following year he was defeated in turn by Gillies and Driver. McDonald was an enthusiastic supporter of Highland games and other forms of sports and showed riding and light harness horses. He kept greyhounds and once won the Waterloo cup.

Milburn School historical souvenir (1938); Poverty Bay Herald, 30 Sep 1881. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 2, page 6

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