A ‘forward thinker’

Press, 13 April 1978, Page 10

A ‘forward thinker’

One of Canterbury’s most respected fanning leaders, Mr D. K. Mackenzie, of Ealing, died late last week. He was 52. Early next month, at the graduation ceremony at Lincoln College, ■ Mr Mackenzie was to have received the coveted Bledisloe Medal, a medal awarded annually to a distinguished former student of the college. "To me he was one of the most efficient and for-ward-thinking farmers in Ashhurton County,” said the chairman ot the Meat Board (Mr Charles Hilgendorf). who knew Mr Mackenzie well. “He also had the great advantage that he always had his feet on the ground. He did not think that miracles could be performed by any breed of animal, or marketing system. He was altogether one of the best adjusted potential farming leaders that we had.” Mr Mackenzie graduated B.Ag. Sc. from Lincoln in 1149. He w>as one of the first to take a degree course at the college in preparation for a career in farming. After graduation, to prepare himself for irrigation farming, he joined the staff of the Winchmore irrigation research station during the early davs of its development, between 1948 and 1951. Later, he was to serve on its-advis-orv committee. He then went into a farming partnership at Faling with his father and brother. Mr Alan Mackenzie. On the death of his

brother, the property of more than 800 ha came under his sole control. The property was one of the biggest irrigation farms in New Zealand and also one of the highest producing. Fellow farmers attributed this to Mr Mackenzie’s managerial skills. Mr Mackenzie and his brother imported the first purebred Murray Grey

cat'le into New Zealand in 1971, and also had Angus. Romney, and Southdown studs. Mr Mackenzie fostered the establishment of a Murray Grey Society and also a Romney breeders’ chib. His potential for farming leadership was recog-

nised m 1959 when he was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship. He was active in Federated Farmers, and was chairman of the MidCanterbury meat and wool section in 1959-60 and a member of the Dominion meat and wool council, provincial president in 1968-69, and a member of the Dominion council of the federation. At the time of his death he was still a member of the electoral committee of the Meat and Wool Boards, which elects prod u c e r members to the boards. For nine years he served on the council of Lincoln College. He was highly regarded as a communicator of information and experience, and was involved in the establishment of the Grasshoppers’ Club, an influential farm-er-oriented discussion group based in Ashburton, and from 1971 to 1973 was chairman of the Lincoln College farmers’ conference. With a nearby farmer, Mr A. R. Reith, he established a factory in the Ealing district for the commercial production and export of dried lucerne. and served as deputy chairman and director of the factorv company. He was also a member of the irrigation and rural water supply committee of the Water Resources Council. Mr Mackenzie is survived by a sister, Mrs Helen Mac Gibbon, of New Plymouth.