MACKENZIE, SIR THOMAS (1854-1930) was born in Edinburgh, the son of David Stewart Mackenzie, and came to New Zealand with his parents in the Robert Henderson (1858). He went first to the Green Island school, then to the North East Valley and finally to the Stone School in Dunedin. Then he took positions in commercial offices in Dunedin and Port Chalmers.

At the age of 20 he joined the Survey department in Wellington, and he was engaged in triangulation in the Hutt valley and surveying the Paraekaretu and Manchester blocks. Returning to Otago, he took part in the survey for the Walton Park railway line. In 1877 he opened a store at Balclutha. He was on the borough council (1881-87) and was two years mayor. Having sold his business (1886), he was elected in 1887 as M.H.R. for Clutha (defeating J. W. Thomson), and he represented that electorate till 1896, when he retired from politics for a few years. In the late eighties he was associated with the Atkinson party, and throughout the Ballance and the early years of the Seddon administration he was a consistent critic of their policy. In 1889 Mackenzie was commissioned by the Government to inquire into the produce trade in Great Britain, and in 1894 he was a member of the tariff commission. On his retirement in 1896 he went to London as the representative of the Canterbury Farmers' Cooperative association, and remained there for three years. On his return he took up his residence in Kaikorai valley.

The resignation of Sir John McKenzie in 1900 furnished an opportunity of re-entering Parliament, and he was elected M.H.R. for Waihemo, and re-elected in 1902 and 1905 for the same seat (then called Waikouaiti). In 1901 he was a member of the royal commission on education, and in 1903 he was chairman of the parliamentary commerce committee. Meanwhile he had been mayor of Roslyn (1901-02) and had done service on other bodies, including the Otago education board (1893-96, 1900-08; chairman 1906-07), the Otago High School governors (sometime chairman and treasurer), the hospital and charitable aid board, and the benevolent trustees. Owing to another adjustment of electoral boundaries he lost his seat in 1908, and was next elected for Taieri. At the following election (for the same reason) he sought a seat in the North Island, and was returned for Egmont, defeating B. Dive (1911).

Mackenzie had now moved towards the Liberal party, and after the election in 1908 he joined the Ward cabinet as Minister of Industries and Commerce and later of Agriculture, Tourists and Health Resorts (6 Jan 1909).

At the elections of 1911 the ministry received a setback, and on Parliament assembling the Government was saved by the casting vote of the Speaker (Feb 1912). Sir Joseph Ward resigned and Mackenzie was then elected leader of the Liberal party and called upon to form a ministry. He took office on 28 Mar 1912, but as soon as Parliament met his party was defeated by 41 votes to 33, and he resigned office (10 Jul). On 22 Aug he resigned his seat in Parliament to accept the high commissionership in London, which he administered with marked ability until 1920. Besides the heavy duties devolving upon him in connection with the war, Mackenzie was a member of the Pacific Cable board (1912-20), the war graves commission, the Dardanelles royal commission and the conference on safety of life at sea (1913), and was a delegate at the peace conference (1919). He was created a K.C.M.G. (1916), and promoted to G.C.M.G. (1920); was a grand officer of the Crown of Belgium, and honorary LL.D. of Edinburgh University. In 1898 he was elected F.R.G.S. On returning to New Zealand Mackenzie was called to the Legislative Council (1921), and he was a member till his death (14 Feb 1930). He married (1884) Ida Henrietta, daughter of Charles Nantes (Geelong, Victoria). She died in 1926.

Mackenzie was keenly interested in exploring and natural history. In 1881, with Professor Scott and James Allen, he walked from Wakatipu by the Harris saddle to Martin's bay. In 1885 he made his first exploration (in the Tautuku forest), and in 1888 he was associated with Quinton McKinnon (q.v.) in the search for Professor Mainwaring Brown, who was lost between Manapouri and the West Coast sounds. He discovered a pass between Manapouri and Hall's Arm. In 1892 he had charge of the search for McKinnon. His travels in 1894 disclosed three practicable passes between Manapouri and Dusky Sound. In 1896 he completed his explorations, and made a comprehensive report to the Government on the geology, fauna and flora of the area. He was president of the New Zealand Bird Protection Society.

N.Z.P.D., pass.; Evening Star (p), Evening Post 14 Feb 1930; Otago Daily Times, 31 Aug, 12, 29 Oct 1888; 17 Mar 1896.

Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 2, page 17

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