THE MAKERS OF OTAGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20951, 14 February 1930, Page 10

THE MAKERS OF OTAGO

PIONEERS ,OF THE PROVINCE. Written for the Otago Daily Times. By Condor. VI.—JAMES MACANDREW, 1820-188 T. No personality in the Otago colony commanded more whole-heartedly the affection and loyalty of the people than did James Macandrew. He was a leader after their own heart, one whom adversity, contumely, and his own mistakes could not displace from his position. Born at Aberdeen in 1820, Macandrew was educated there, and at the Ayr Academy, and then went into mercantile life. Finally he got to London, where his training was completed. Equipped with unbounded energy and optimism he entered upon the ’battle of life. In 1845, while still in business in London Macandrew became a member of the London branch of the Otago Lay Associat

tion; not an inconsiderable member, either, for he is said to have imported into their discussions and their negotiations with the Colonial Office great industry and tact and an untiring spirit of hopefulness. Having decided upon emigration for himself, Macandrew in 1850 purchased the iron schooner Titan, of 101 tons, loaded her with merchandise on account of himself and his friends,, including W. H. Reynolds (his brother-in-law), and sailed with his family and a select party. They arrived in Otago on January 17, 1851. As soon as he set foot ashore Macandrew became a leading spirit, and a member of the Constitutional Association which was agitating for self-government for the colony. He established his business on a commanding site at the corner of Manse and Stafford streets, and while the store was being erected he visited in his schooner the northern settlements of New Zealand to see how they were developing. From the very beginning his remarkable energy was matched by aq unconquerable confidence in the future of the colony. With Reynolds on board, the Titan sailed the broad Pacific, selling Otago produce in Australia and California, and bringing back merchandise and live stock for the stores and farms of the province. Macandrew assisted in the establishment of limekilns in the Kaikorai Valley and of flourmills at Green Island. He despatched the first shipment of wool direct to London. In the yards of James Adam he had two ships built, the. Star and the Bon Accord, but the yards were before their time and closed down. Macandrew had a passion for communications, and he infected the Provincial Council with it. In 1858 he employed the Queen in the intercolonial and coastal trade. As the first steamer which visited Dunedin she received a salute -of 24 .guns when she dropped her anchor in the harbour. The Pirate and the Pride of the Yarra followed under his auspices. '■ He always advocated a fast mail service with Great Britain, and originated that via Panama. So convinced was he of the need of such services that he once persuaded the Provincial Council to,sell sheep runs wholesale in order to obtain money to buy ships. He took a leading part in promoting the breakwater at Oamaru, the Dunedin-Port Chalmers and the Ciutha - railways, and he moved in the Council for the construction of the graving dock, which as Superintendent he opened. He put the Queen on to call regularly at the Bluff when Riverton was the only centre of population of Southland. He made an arduous journey himself to Southland, and erected the first building on the site of Invercargill. The confidence of the people of Otago in the sagacity and good faith of Maeandrew was unshakable. When the first Provincial Council was elected in 1853 he was returned for the Dunedin Country district, and when the Council met he was elected to the Speaker’s chair, which he vacated a few days later to become a member of the executive. The day after his election to the Council he was returned unopposed as a member of the House of Representatives for Dunedin. Here, too, he took a leading position. It was lie who moved that each sitting should open with prayer to Divine Providence, and, after a. long fight, the form of prayer was adopted. Macandrew had the distinction of bein" a member of the first executive (In 1854), before the introduction of responsible government. In the province his position continued to become more substantial. He was a member of the first Town Board of Dunedin in 1855. For three years (1856-59) he was Speaker of the Provincial Council, and when Cargill retired at the end of 1850 he was elected Superintendent as the natural successor. There is no question that with his undoubted ability, his patent sincerity, his wonderful optimism, and his magnetic influence over the affections of his fellow-men, he could in a few years have attained to the highest position in New Zealand. A painful incident prevented that. A shortage was disclosed in the public funds in connection with emigration. Called to, account, Macandrew indignantly repudiated any dishonesty, complained that the investigation was prompted by hostile parties in the province, and, meeting it with contumacy, was declared guilty by the council, and on its petition removed from the Superintcndcncy. Richardson assumed the Superintendcney under the constitution, and was duly elected in June, 1861, but such was the confidence of the people in the integrity of Macandrew that he actually polled 189 votes against Richardson’s 292 though he fought the campaign from within the walls of the prison. By 1865 Macandrew was again in the General Assembly ns the representative of Bruce, and two years later, when the Superintcndcncy agaiu fell vacant, he stood again, defeated Thomas Dick by 2259 votes to 1392, and was never again in danger of being displaced. At the last Superintendcney election, in 1873, he polled 3702 votes, Gillies being only -2750 and Graham 26. The faith and affection of the people of Otago never altered. He was their David, but, as a biographer has said, “ the excellent talents of economy and administration were denied to him. His mind was never disciplined, nor was bis judgment sound. He was given a specious. and original genius which enabled him to initiate many important public movements and to see further into the future than men who made better

ministers of public works. He set a pre-eminent example of patriotism anti public spirit.” For the remainder of the provincial period, 1867-76, Macandrew was the undisputed Superintendent of .Otago. lu colonial politics Grey, who was one of his greatest personal friends, took him into his Ministry in 1877-78’as Secretary for Lands and Minister of Immigration and Public Works, and he was in the Stout-Vogel Government of 1884. He represented Clutha from 1866-70, Port Chalmers from 1871-75, Dunedin City from 1875-79, and Port Chalmers again from 1879 to the day of his death. While in Grey’s Ministry he obtained from Parliament the authorisation of three great railways, the North Island Main Trunk, the Midland, and the Otago Central. He strongly favoured easier terms of land settlement, and obtained the insertion in the Land Bill of 1884 of a clause providing for grants of land to Highland crofters. He considered they would make excellent settlers, and, with his customary optimism, pictured 40,000 families being brought out under this scheme. He was a firm believer in the union of English-speaking peoples as a factor in securing the peace of the world, and on his motion in 1885 Parliament carried a resolution embodying this aspiration. As a Scot Macandrew’s interest in education amounted almost to a religion. He was active in the setting apart of large landed reserves from the provincial estate for this purpose. In 1869 he gave valuable evidence before a parlia mentary committee in favour of a university in Dunedin, and when Parliament refused to accede to his proposals he introduced them in the Provincial Council, The University was eventually founded in 1870 under a provincial ordin ance. Macandrew was a member of the University Council until his death. It was the last public body that he attended, and on his deathbed he remarked: “It is my wish and hope that Otago University will get a royal charter to grant degrees. It is a matter I have had much at heart for many years.” As Superintendent Macandrew took a keen interest in the founding of the Normal Training College in Dunedin, the Benevolent Institution, the Industrial School at Caversham, and the Otago Boys’ High School. ft could never be said of Macandrew that he placed his own interest first. . A political opponent in the province once remarked of him that “ he was a fool for his own interests,” and a critical enough biographer wrote after his death; “Neither as a member of the community nor as a politician can selfishness be written against the name of James Macandrew.” His weakness was his “ absolute lack of business capacity or attention to detail.” He imagined on a generous scale, but could not study the minutisc of his scheme. He never imagined with an eye to profit or praise for himself. His whole thought was for the good of the province and the colony. Macandrew died on February 23, 1887, as the result of a buggy accident. He left a considerable family.