MACKELVIE, JAMES TANNOCK (1824-85) was born in Glasgow, his father being an officer in H.M. Customs. He was educated in Glasgow, and trained to mercantile life. For some years he was in business in Liverpool, where he became manager of the Birkenhead Steam Ferry Co. He came to New Zealand in 1867 and was associated as a partner with Brown and Campbell until 1872. Meanwhile he invested shrewdly and successfully in mining ventures on the Thames field. He was one of the four owners of the Golden Crown (1869-70). Retiring in a few years with a large fortune, he returned to England. In 1877 he made the first of a series of gifts to the City of Auckland, in this instance a collection of English coins. In the next eight years he donated valuable books and works of art to the Auckland Public Library and the Art Gallery. Mackelvie died on 4 Jun 1885, leaving a sum of £40,000 for the art gallery.

Barr; Weston; Auckland Star, 28 Jul 1885; N.Z. Herald, 23 Dec 1882, 9 May 1883, 24 Jul 1885, 28 Nov 1890, 23 Apr, 13 Sep 1892.

Portrait: Auckland Art Gallery (by L. J. Steele).

Reference: Volume 2, page 15

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