Andrew Mercer (1829 – 6 June 1902) was

Mayor of Dunedin The mayor of Dunedin is the head of the local government, the city council of Dunedin, New Zealand. The mayor's role is "to provide leadership to the other elected members of the territorial authority, be a leader in the community and perform c ...

1873–1874. Mercer was born in Fifeshire in 1829. After an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker, he arrived in

Port Chalmers Port Chalmers () is a town serving as the main port of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. Port Chalmers lies ten kilometres inside Otago Harbour, some 15 kilometres northeast of Dunedin's city centre. History Early Māori settlement The or ...

aboard the ''

Philip Laing The ''Philip Laing'' was a 19th-century sailing ship best known as the second immigrant ship to arrive in Dunedin, New Zealand, on 15 April 1848. Chartered by the New Zealand Company for this voyage the ship was carrying Scottish settlers, unde ...

'' in 1848. According to an 1848 letter home, Mercer intended for his father and other family to join him. Mercer opened a grocery store on

Princes Street Princes Street () is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, Edinburgh, New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (three quar ...

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...

, in partnership with George Ross, and then alone, and then with his son Hector. Mercer served seven years on the city council, and was a Justice of the Peace. He was elected mayor of Dunedin in 1873 and served one term. He died in Dunedin on 6 June 1902.

References

1829 births 1902 deaths 19th-century mayors of places in New Zealand Mayors of Dunedin New Zealand public servants Scottish emigrants to New Zealand Settlers of Otago People from Fife {{NewZealand-mayor-stub