Sir Clutha Nantes Mackenzie (11 February 1895 – 30 March 1966) was a New Zealand politician and worker for the blind. He was briefly a Reform Party Member of Parliament.

Biography

Mackenzie was born in Balclutha in 1895. He was the youngest child of Sir

Thomas Mackenzie Sir Thomas Mackenzie (10 March 1853 – 4 February 1930) was a Scottish-born New Zealand politician and explorer who briefly served as the 18th prime minister of New Zealand in 1912, and later served as New Zealand High Commissioner in L ...

, who was High Commissioner in London and was previously a Liberal politician (and Prime Minister in 1912). Mackenzie Jr. enlisted in the Army in World War I. He was blinded at

Chunuk Bair The Battle of Chunuk Bair () was a World War I battle fought between the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman defenders and troops of the British Empire over control of the peak in August 1915. The capture of Chunuk Bair, ( Basin Slope, now ''Conk Bayırı'' ...

during the Gallipoli campaign and was sent to the No. 2 New Zealand General Hospital at Walton-on-Thames to convalesce. At the hospital he was one of the patients of his sister Mary, who was a member of the Voluntary Aid Detachment here. After recovering he was sent to the live with other blind soldiers in a house in Portland before attending St Dunstan's, the Institute for the Blind Soldiers and Sailors. At the institute he learnt Braille as well as how to type. He was active in organisations for the blind; he was attached to the UN and was Chairman of the World Braille Council. He was appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...

in the

1935 New Year Honours The 1935 New Year Honours were appointments by King George V to Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the United Kingdom and British Empire. They were a ...

. Later that year he was awarded the

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver Ju ...

. Mackenzie won the

Auckland East Auckland East was a New Zealand electorate, situated in the east of Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region ...

electorate in a 1921 by-election after the resignation of

Arthur Myers Sir Arthur Mielziner Myers (19 May 1868 – 9 October 1926) was a New Zealand politician. He was Mayor of Auckland City from 1905 to 1909, Member of the House of Representatives from 1910 to 1921, and a Cabinet Minister. Today he is remembered ...

, but was defeated in the next election in

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

by John A. Lee. Mackenzie died in Auckland in 1966, and his ashes were buried in the

Dunedin Northern Cemetery The Dunedin Northern Cemetery is a major historic cemetery in the southern New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located on a sloping site close to Lovelock Avenue on a spur of Signal Hill close to the Dunedin Botanic Gardens and the suburb of ...

Notes

References

*Obituary in ''Evening Post'', 31 March 1966 page 26. *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mackenzie, Clutha 1895 births 1966 deaths Blind politicians New Zealand blind people People educated at Otago Boys' High School New Zealand Knights Bachelor New Zealand military personnel of World War I New Zealand politicians with disabilities Reform Party (New Zealand) MPs Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates Unsuccessful candidates in the 1922 New Zealand general election Unsuccessful candidates in the 1919 New Zealand general election Burials at Dunedin Northern Cemetery Children of prime ministers of New Zealand

Biography

Notes

References

Further reading

External links