DUNCAN, THOMAS YOUNG (1836-1914) was born at Plumbridge, County Tyrone, Ireland, educated at the Castledamph national school, and brought up to farming. In 1858 he arrived in Victoria, where he worked on the goldfields successively at Bendigo, Back Creek, Daisy Hill, Lamplough, Charlton and Fiery Creek. With a party of northern English, Welsh and Scots he started a deep claim with an engine. In 1862 the Dunstan rush attracted him to Otago, and after working on the fields for two years without marked success he took up a farm at Pukeuri (1864) where he remained for the rest of his life.

Duncan was a member of the school committee and the first road board, was on the Waitaki county council for nine years from its formation and on the Oamaru harbour board. He was returned to the House of Representatives for Waitaki in 1881, 1884 and 1887, and thereafter for Oamaru, which he represented till 1911. He was a staunch Liberal and in 1900 became a member of the Seddon ministry (as Minister for Lands and Agriculture). He was not included in the Ward reconstruction in 1906, and retired from the elective house in 1911. In the following year he was called to the Legislative Council, of which he was a member till his death (on 18 Aug 1914). Duncan married a daughter of J. Begg, of Ballater, near Balmoral.

N.Z.P.D. (notably 26 Aug 1914); Who's Who N.Z., 1908; Otago Daily Times, 19 Aug 1914. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 1, page 128

🌳 Further sources