MONRO, SIR DAVID (1813-77) was born in Edinburgh, the son of Dr Alexander Monro, president of the Royal Society of Physicians and professor of anatomy and surgery at the university. His great grandfather was founder of the medical school, at which three generations held the chair of anatomy. Monro proceeded afterwards to the medical schools at Paris, Berlin and Vienna.

Having bought land from the New Zealand Company in London, he arrived in Melbourne as a surgeon in the ship Tasmania in 1841 and early in 1842 came to Nelson. He followed pastoral pursuits for some years, and in 1844 accompanied Tuckett on his expedition to explore Otago for a site for the Presbyterian colony. Monro's description of this journey appeared in the Nelson Examiner in July 1844, and as an appendix to Hocken's History of Otago. With Stafford and Domett, Monro took a leading part in political controversy in the forties, and strongly resisted the attempt to load the Nelson settlers with the debts of the New Zealand Company. He was a magistrate from 1842. In 1849 he was appointed as one of the members of the Legislative Council of New Munster. When first nominated, he expressed his regret to Grey that the upper chamber was a nominative body instead of being elective, and reminded the Governor that he himself had expressed his opinion to the same effect. Monro resigned from the Council in 1850 in view of a despatch from the Secretary of State, which suggested that nominee membership was incompatible with independence.

When the constitution was brought into force in 1853 Monro was elected to represent Waimea West in the Nelson Provincial Council, and at the same time as a representative of Waimea in Parliament. Sitting in the Council till 1857 for Waimea West, from 1857-61 for Nelson, and from 1861-64 for Amuri, he remained throughout a private member. He twice contested the superintendency against Robinson. The claims of general politics absorbed too much of his attention to permit him to take a prominent part in the provincial sphere. He sat in Parliament for Waimea (1853-55 and 1858-60); for Picton 1861, and for Cheviot 1866-70. Elected for Motueka in 1871, he was unseated on petition but then won the Waikouaiti seat, which he held 1872-73.

In 1861 Monro was elected to succeed Sir Charles Clifford as Speaker of the House of Representatives, a position which he held until 1870. Knighted in 1866, he retired from the speakership in 1870, and from Parliament in 1873. His unconventional ruling in 1862, whereby he gave his casting vote against the government in office, was responsible for the resignation of the Fox ministry and the accession of Domett to office. Monro died on 15 Feb 1877.

A nephew, ALEXANDER BINNING MONRO (1838-1918) was the son of Alexander Binning Monro, of Auchinbowie, Stirling. He came to New Zealand in the forties and settled in Marlborough. He represented Upper Wairau in the Marlborough Provincial Council (1869-70). He died on 24 Nov 1918. His brother,

Cycl. NZ

Reference: Volume 2, page 49

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