The Influence of Sir John McKenzie KCMG (1838 – 1901)

One man more than any, before or since, influenced the ultimate nature of land settlement and the distribution of farming lands in New Zealand and by concequence; the nature of the rural economy and society which has developed through to our present time. John (Jock) McKenzie (1838-1901) was born in Ross-Shire Scotland, son of a tenant farmer. He witnessed first hand and was forever deeply influenced by the misery, suffering and deprivation inflicted by Scottish chieftains as they consolidated traditional lands through massed eviction of their own clansmen. In 1860, looking for a better future, McKenzie migrated to the New Zealand Scottish settlement of Otago. He became involved in politics entering parliament in 1891 where he championed critical land issues of the day. In 1891 was made minister for lands. His story and the affect of his life’s work on the New Zealand rural economy and society – an affect that remains largely unchanged in the 21st century, is quite remarkable – though largely forgotten. His simple philosophy was summed up in the closing couplets of a poem he quoted before the crucial parliarment division on the Lands for Settlement Bill 1894:

“Yet millions of hands want acres,
And millions of acres want hands.”

In The Encyclopaedia of New Zealand 1966; Bernard John Foster (Principal Research Officer, Department of Internal Affairs Wellington) concluded: “It is to him in large measure that we owe the fact that New Zealand is not a land of great landowners and peasant tenant farmers.” This story (from which this information is summarised) is recommended reading:

http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/M/MckenzieSirJohnKcmg/MckenzieSirJohnKcmg/en

Filed under: Hawkes Bay, Moving to New Zealand, Pastoral