John Duthie (New Zealand)
Encyclopedia
John Duthie was a politician and businessman in New Zealand. Originally from Scotland, he came to Auckland in 1863. He set up his own ironmongery
in New Plymouth
, then Wanganui
, and he finally settled in Wellington
. In the latter city, he was mayor
for one term. He then represented Wellington in Parliament
for a total of eleven years. For the last two years of his life, he was appointed to the New Zealand Legislative Council
.
, Aberdeenshire
, Scotland
. He was educated at the Aberdeen Grammar School
. In that city, he undertook an apprenticeship with Glegg and Thompson, an ironmongery. After his training, Duthie was for some years travelling in Scotland and Ireland for a Sheffield firm.
, New Zealand, on 16 November 1863 on the Helvellyn. For some time he acted as traveller for Cruickshank, Smart and Co., ironmongers. About 1866 Dutbie moved to New Plymouth
and started in business; about two years later extending the operations to Wanganui
, where he opened a branch and conducted a growing trade for many years. He was for many years in partnership with Charles Brown
in New Plymouth. In 1879 he came to Wellington
, and started the business that developed into John Duthie and Co. Limited. Until 1887 or 1888, Duthie retained an interest in the Wanganui business, which he then sold to his partner, James Thain.
He was the director of several city companies, and was in business with James Gear in the 1880s, where he was a director, and for two years served as the chairman of directors. He was at one time president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, and was president of the Caledonian Society for some years. Duthie was one of the founding directors of The Dominion
newspaper and was chairman of the newspaper's board from 1912 until his death in 1915. That newspaper merged in 2002 with the other Wellington daily, The Evening Post
, to form the Dominion Post
.
without opposition. He held the position for one year.
Duthie, a conservative politician who was never sympathetic to the ideas of the Liberal Party
, was first elected to the three-member electorate of City of Wellington
in the 1890 general election
, when he came second, with 50 votes behind George Fisher
, but 300 votes ahead of Thomas Kennedy Macdonald
. He served until the end of the term of the 11th New Zealand Parliament
in 1893. At the 1893 general election
, he was again elected for Wellington, coming third alongside Francis Bell (the later Prime Minister
) and Robert Stout
(the former Prime Minister), but defeating the incumbent Macdonald. Duthie retired at the end of the term of the 12th New Zealand Parliament in 1896 and did not stand in the 1896 general election
.
The resignation of Stout triggered the 9 March 1898 City of Wellington by-election
. The election was contested by Duthie and Richard Clement Kirk, with the former being successful. Duthie retired at the end of the term of the 13th New Zealand Parliament in 1899 and did not stand in the 1899 general election
.
Duthie stood once more in the three-member Wellington electorate in the 1902 general election
and came second, and was thus returned alongside John Aitken
and George Fisher
. He served until the end of the term of the 15th New Zealand Parliament in 1905.
The Wellington electorate was abolished in 1905 and replaced by three single-member electorates. Duthie chose to contest the Wellington North electorate
and contested it against Charles Hayward Izard
and George Dickson Macfarlane. Izard was successful, with Duthie coming second, and the latter's parliamentary career had thus come to an end.
Duthie was remembered as one of the sternest critics of the Liberal Government
under Richard Seddon
. Duthie had a very direct manner. He believed strongly that he was right, and that everybody who disagreed with him was wrong.
Under William Massey
's Reform Government
, Duthie was appointed to the Legislative Council
on 26 June 1913 and served until his death.
suburb of Naenae
. The house, built entirely from native timbers, was at the time regarded as one of the finest in the Wellington region. It had its own electricity generation plant on the property and is believed to be the first house in the region that had electricity. The house is these days a private residence.
Both the house and the generator building are registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
as Category II heritage structures. The house is registered under number 4140, and the generator building under number 4141.
Three of their daughters died young: Laura (1 September 1875 – 30 March 1876) was buried at Wanganui, while Isabella Miller (15 March 1867 – 12 November 1896; wife of Thomas Miller) and Florence (27 January 1876 – 21 December 1896) were both buried at Karori Cemetery.
His wife died on 8 October 1911 and is buried at Karori Cemetery. Duthie died on 14 October 1915 at his residence Balgownie aged 74 years. He was buried at Karori Cemetery in plot number 85 F two days later, next to his wife. He was survived by one daughter and six sons.
Mercer Street in central Wellington is named in honour of the mayoress. Duthie Street in Karori
is named for him, although he never lived in Karori.
Ironmongery
Ironmongery originally referred both to the manufacture, and the place of sale of iron goods produced for domestic rather than industrial use. The usage of the term has expanded in recent times to include consumer goods made of aluminium, brass, or other metals, as well as plastics...
in New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
, then Wanganui
Whanganui
Various places in New Zealand are called Whanganui:*Whanganui, a city at the mouth of the Whanganui River, also often spelled "Wanganui", Manawatu-Wanganui Region*Whanganui District, Manawatu-Wanganui Region*Whanganui Island, Waikato Region...
, and he finally settled in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
. In the latter city, he was mayor
Mayor of Wellington
The Mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of Wellington, New Zealand, and presides over the Wellington City Council. The Mayor of Wellington administers only Wellington City itself — other municipalities in adjacent areas of the Wellington Region such as Lower Hutt, Upper...
for one term. He then represented Wellington in Parliament
Parliament of New Zealand
The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...
for a total of eleven years. For the last two years of his life, he was appointed to the New Zealand Legislative Council
New Zealand Legislative Council
The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed.-Role:...
.
Early life
Duthie was born on 28 February 1841 in KintoreKintore, Aberdeenshire
Kintore is a town and former royal burgh near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, now bypassed by the A96 road between Aberdeen and Inverness. The name Kintore comes from the Gaelic, Ceann Tòrr. Ceann means the head, or the end, and Tòrr means a round hill. So the name signifies that the town...
, Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He was educated at the Aberdeen Grammar School
Aberdeen Grammar School
Aberdeen Grammar School, known to students as The Grammar is a state secondary school in the City of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of twelve secondary schools run by the Aberdeen City Council educational department...
. In that city, he undertook an apprenticeship with Glegg and Thompson, an ironmongery. After his training, Duthie was for some years travelling in Scotland and Ireland for a Sheffield firm.
Professional life in New Zealand
Duthie arrived in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand, on 16 November 1863 on the Helvellyn. For some time he acted as traveller for Cruickshank, Smart and Co., ironmongers. About 1866 Dutbie moved to New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
and started in business; about two years later extending the operations to Wanganui
Whanganui
Various places in New Zealand are called Whanganui:*Whanganui, a city at the mouth of the Whanganui River, also often spelled "Wanganui", Manawatu-Wanganui Region*Whanganui District, Manawatu-Wanganui Region*Whanganui Island, Waikato Region...
, where he opened a branch and conducted a growing trade for many years. He was for many years in partnership with Charles Brown
Charles Brown (Taranaki)
Charles Brown was a New Zealand politician from the Taranaki area.-Personal life:Brown was born in London, England, the illegitimate son of Charles Armitage Brown and Abigail O'Donohue, an Irish house servant at Wentworth Place where Brown and Keats resided...
in New Plymouth. In 1879 he came to Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, and started the business that developed into John Duthie and Co. Limited. Until 1887 or 1888, Duthie retained an interest in the Wanganui business, which he then sold to his partner, James Thain.
He was the director of several city companies, and was in business with James Gear in the 1880s, where he was a director, and for two years served as the chairman of directors. He was at one time president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, and was president of the Caledonian Society for some years. Duthie was one of the founding directors of The Dominion
The Dominion (Wellington)
The Dominion was a daily morning newspaper based in Wellington, New Zealand.In 2002 it merged with The Evening Post, the other Wellington daily, to form the Dominion Post....
newspaper and was chairman of the newspaper's board from 1912 until his death in 1915. That newspaper merged in 2002 with the other Wellington daily, The Evening Post
The Evening Post (New Zealand)
The Evening Post was a daily newspaper based in Wellington, New Zealand. It was founded in 1865 by Henry Blundell , an Irish immigrant to New Zealand. It continued under Blundell family control until the 1960s, when it was purchased by Independent Newspapers Ltd.In 2002 it merged with The...
, to form the Dominion Post
The Dominion Post (Wellington)
The Dominion Post is a metropolitan broadsheet newspaper published in Wellington, New Zealand, owned by the Australian Fairfax group, owners of The Age, Melbourne, and The Sydney Morning Herald.- Foundation :...
.
Political career
While a resident of Wanganui, he was at one time chairman of the Harbour Board. In Wellington he was a member of the Wellington Harbour Board for many years and was chairman of that body in 1887–1888. In 1889, he was elected Mayor of WellingtonMayor of Wellington
The Mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of Wellington, New Zealand, and presides over the Wellington City Council. The Mayor of Wellington administers only Wellington City itself — other municipalities in adjacent areas of the Wellington Region such as Lower Hutt, Upper...
without opposition. He held the position for one year.
Duthie, a conservative politician who was never sympathetic to the ideas of the Liberal Party
New Zealand Liberal Party
The New Zealand Liberal Party is generally regarded as having been the first real political party in New Zealand. It governed from 1891 until 1912. Out of office, the Liberals gradually found themselves pressed between the conservative Reform Party and the growing Labour Party...
, was first elected to the three-member electorate of City of Wellington
Wellington (New Zealand electorate)
Wellington , was a parliamentary electorate in Wellington, New Zealand. It existed from 1853 to 1905 with a break in the 1880s. It was a multi-member electorate. The electorate was represented by 24 Members of Parliament....
in the 1890 general election
New Zealand general election, 1890
The New Zealand general election of 1890 was one of New Zealand's most significant. It marked the beginning of party politics in New Zealand with the formation of the First Liberal government, which was to enact major welfare, labour and electoral reforms, including giving the vote to women.It was...
, when he came second, with 50 votes behind George Fisher
George Fisher (New Zealand)
George Fisher was a four-time Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1882 to 1885, and in 1896. He represented various Wellington electorates in Parliament for a total of 18 years...
, but 300 votes ahead of Thomas Kennedy Macdonald
Thomas Kennedy Macdonald
Thomas Kennedy Macdonald was a 19th century Liberal Party Member of Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand. He was known as Kennedy Mac.Macdonald was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France...
. He served until the end of the term of the 11th New Zealand Parliament
11th New Zealand Parliament
The 11th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand.Elections for this term were held in 4 Māori electorates and 62 European electorates on 27 November and 5 December 1890, respectively...
in 1893. At the 1893 general election
New Zealand general election, 1893
The New Zealand general election of 1893 was held on Tuesday, 28 November in the general electorates, and on Wednesday, 20 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 12th session of the New Zealand Parliament...
, he was again elected for Wellington, coming third alongside Francis Bell (the later Prime Minister
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
) and Robert Stout
Robert Stout
Sir Robert Stout, KCMG was the 13th Premier of New Zealand on two occasions in the late 19th century, and later Chief Justice of New Zealand. He was the only person to hold both these offices...
(the former Prime Minister), but defeating the incumbent Macdonald. Duthie retired at the end of the term of the 12th New Zealand Parliament in 1896 and did not stand in the 1896 general election
New Zealand general election, 1896
The New Zealand general election of 1896 was held on Wednesday, 4 December in the general electorates, and on Thursday, 19 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 13th session of the New Zealand Parliament...
.
The resignation of Stout triggered the 9 March 1898 City of Wellington by-election
City of Wellington by-election, 1898
General election, 1896 results: City of Wellington 1 Majority is difference between lowest winning poll and highest losing poll...
. The election was contested by Duthie and Richard Clement Kirk, with the former being successful. Duthie retired at the end of the term of the 13th New Zealand Parliament in 1899 and did not stand in the 1899 general election
New Zealand general election, 1899
The New Zealand general election of 1899 was held on Wednesday, 6 December in the general electorates, and on Tuesday, 19 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 14th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number of 373,744 voters turned out to...
.
Duthie stood once more in the three-member Wellington electorate in the 1902 general election
New Zealand general election, 1902
The New Zealand general election of 1902 was held on Tuesday, 25 November in the general electorates, and on Monday, 22 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 15th session of the New Zealand Parliament...
and came second, and was thus returned alongside John Aitken
John Aitken (Mayor of Wellington)
John Guthrie Wood Aitken was the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1900 to 1904.He represented the City of Wellington electorate from 1902 to 1905, and then the Wellington East electorate from 1905 to 1908, when he retired....
and George Fisher
George Fisher (New Zealand)
George Fisher was a four-time Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1882 to 1885, and in 1896. He represented various Wellington electorates in Parliament for a total of 18 years...
. He served until the end of the term of the 15th New Zealand Parliament in 1905.
The Wellington electorate was abolished in 1905 and replaced by three single-member electorates. Duthie chose to contest the Wellington North electorate
Wellington North (New Zealand electorate)
Wellington North was, from 1905 to 1946, a parliamentary electorate within the area encompassing New Zealand's capital, Wellington.The electorate was represented by four Members of Parliament — Charles Izard from 1905 to 1908, Alexander Herdman from 1908 to 1918 and John Luke from 1918 to 1928.Its...
and contested it against Charles Hayward Izard
Charles Hayward Izard
Charles Hayward Izard was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand, and a Wellington lawyer.He was elected to the Wellington North electorate in the 1905, but was defeated in 1908....
and George Dickson Macfarlane. Izard was successful, with Duthie coming second, and the latter's parliamentary career had thus come to an end.
Duthie was remembered as one of the sternest critics of the Liberal Government
First Liberal Government of New Zealand
The First Liberal Government of New Zealand was the first responsible government in New Zealand politics organised along party lines. The Government formed following the founding of the Liberal Party and took office on the 24 January 1891, and governed New Zealand for over 21 years until 10 July...
under Richard Seddon
Richard Seddon
Richard John Seddon , sometimes known as King Dick, is to date the longest serving Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is regarded by some, including historian Keith Sinclair, as one of New Zealand's greatest political leaders....
. Duthie had a very direct manner. He believed strongly that he was right, and that everybody who disagreed with him was wrong.
Under William Massey
William Massey
William Ferguson Massey, often known as Bill Massey or "Farmer Bill" served as the 19th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1912 to 1925, and was the founder of the Reform Party. He is widely considered to have been one of the more skilled politicians of his time, and was known for the particular...
's Reform Government
Reform Government of New Zealand
The Reform Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1912 to 1928. It is perhaps best remembered for its anti-trade union stance in the Waihi miners' strike of 1912 and a dockworkers' strike the following year...
, Duthie was appointed to the Legislative Council
New Zealand Legislative Council
The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed.-Role:...
on 26 June 1913 and served until his death.
Balgownie House
The Duthie family lived in Wellington until their new home, Balgownie, was completed in 1903 in the Lower HuttLower Hutt
Lower Hutt is a city in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Its council has adopted the name Hutt City Council, but neither the New Zealand Geographic Board nor the Local Government Act recognise the name Hutt City. This alternative name can lead to confusion, as there are two cities in the...
suburb of Naenae
Naenae
Naenae is a suburb of the city of Lower Hutt in the North Island of New Zealand. It lies on the eastern edge of the floodplain of the Hutt River, four kilometres from the Lower Hutt Central business district. A small tributary of the Hutt, the Waiwhetu Stream, flows through the suburb.Naenae has a...
. The house, built entirely from native timbers, was at the time regarded as one of the finest in the Wellington region. It had its own electricity generation plant on the property and is believed to be the first house in the region that had electricity. The house is these days a private residence.
Both the house and the generator building are registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
as Category II heritage structures. The house is registered under number 4140, and the generator building under number 4141.
Family and death
Duthie married Mary Anne Duthie (née Mercer, born 3 December 1840).Three of their daughters died young: Laura (1 September 1875 – 30 March 1876) was buried at Wanganui, while Isabella Miller (15 March 1867 – 12 November 1896; wife of Thomas Miller) and Florence (27 January 1876 – 21 December 1896) were both buried at Karori Cemetery.
His wife died on 8 October 1911 and is buried at Karori Cemetery. Duthie died on 14 October 1915 at his residence Balgownie aged 74 years. He was buried at Karori Cemetery in plot number 85 F two days later, next to his wife. He was survived by one daughter and six sons.
Mercer Street in central Wellington is named in honour of the mayoress. Duthie Street in Karori
Karori
Karori is a suburb located at the western edge of the urban area of Wellington, New Zealand, some 4 km from the city centre.Karori is significantly larger than most other Wellington suburbs, having a population of over 14,000 at the time of the 2006 census.-History:Before the arrival of...
is named for him, although he never lived in Karori.