CHAIRMAN OF THE A.H.B.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 112, 14 May 1929, Page 7

CHAIRMAN OF THE A.H.B.

MR. WYNYARD APPOINTED. TO SUCCEED MR. "MACKENZIE. RECORD TERM OF CVJ'ICE. At the annual meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board tr' ; afternoon Mr. M. H. Wynyard was : ;■ pointed chairman in succession to Mr. H. R. Mackenzie. The term of seven years two months that Mr. Mackenzie has been chairman constitutes a record for long service in the office. It was 1013 that Mr. Mackenzie was first elected to the board, so that he is now one of the veterans. At the time he joined, the assets, of the board were worth £2/>OO,OOO, and the revenue was £100,000. To-day the assets reach the huge sum of £5,500,000, and the revenue is £3110,000. .His term covered a •neat deal of important work, of which the building of the magnificent Princes wharf was the outstanding undertaking. Other works include the new Onehunga wharf and the new Devohport wharf, both fine reinforced concrete structures which replaced the old wooden ones; the new vehicular stage in Mechanics' Bay; and the capacious boat-harbour at Ponsonby. When Mr. Mackenzie came back from his recent trip abroad he announced that he did not intend standing again for the board. The rest of the members, however, realised that the information he had gained by visiting the leading ports in other parts of the world would be of great value to the board, and a unanimous request was made to him to stand again. Mr. Mackenzie, consented, but said definitely that he would not contest the chairmanship again. Mr. Mackenzie contested the country seat which he had represented for so many years unopposed, and on May 1 last he was returned with a flattering majority. Mr. Wynyard has been a member of the board since 191b', as representative for Onehunga. While he has done specially good work as chairman of the Manukau Harbour Coinmitte his general work on the board has been so outstanding that he was naturally chosen as deputy-chairman to Mr. Mackenzie. He has a thorough grip of the board's business, and being a trained lawyer his duties as chairman come much easier to him than to many men without a legal training. He belongs' to a family that lias been connected with Auckland from the earliest days, his grandfather-being Lieutenant-General Wynyard, who was Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand 1853-S. Founder of the legal firm of Wynyard and Purchas, which later became Wynward, Wilson, Vallance and Holmden, Mr. Wynyard retired some years ago, since when he has devoted much of his time to public affairs. In addition to serving on the Harbour Board he has also done good work on the Main Highways Board, where he is the representative of the motorists.