Angus and Janet MacKay:

On barque Aurora to Australia 1852-53

First Mayor of Dannevirke, New Zealand

The Cyclopedia of New Zealand

Mr. ANGUS MACKAY, the first Mayor of Dannevirke, was born in Pictou, Nova Scotia, in the year 1820, his father having been a builder and farmer from Sutherlandshire, Scotland. He was educated in his native town, and learned the trade of a stonemason and builder. In 1853 he went to Melbourne, Australia, where he carried on building operations until 1865, when he came to New Zealand, in order to erect, in conjunction with Mr. McKenzie, the large wharf at Mokomoko, near Invercargill, at a cost of (Pounds)30,000. (sorry I have no pound sign in this font) Mr MacKay was sucessful in this undertaking, and was afterwards appointed Government inspector for the Panmue Bridge, near Auckland, the new Post Office and the Supreme Court, Auckland. He then removed to New South Wales, where he was employed by Messrs Ames Brothers to supervise the construction of the railway between Muswellbrook and Murruranda. In 1873 Mr MacKay returned to New Zealand to inspect, for Messrs Brogden and Sons, the bridge on the Picton-Blenheim line. He then went to New Plymouth to manage the construction of the line between Sentry Hill and Inglewood for the contractors, Messrs Henderson and Davies. His next move was to Napier to superintend the construction of the groins in the harbour. Mr MacKay then entered on bridge building on his own account, his first contract being at Clive, over the Ngaruroro River, and he was subsequently employed as inspector of the railway under construction between Woodville and Matamau. In 1883 Mr MacKay settled in Dannevirke. He has been a member of the Road Board and the Town Board, and on the formation of the borough was elected first mayor, ans was again elected for two subsequent terms. Mr MacKay was also chairman of the School Committee for several years, was a member of the Domain Board, and was elected to the Licensing Committee at the head of the poll in his own district. He is also an elder of the Presbyterian Church, in which he takes very great interest. In the year 1850 Mr MacKay married Miss Janet Murray, of Easttown [Earltown], Nova Scotia, and has an only Daughter - Mrs. S. W. Luxford, of Awapuni. (end of quote)

[Heritage Hall] [Dannevirke Hall] [Copyright (C) 1996]