Tom Macdonald (politician)

Sir Tom Macdonald KCMG
Thomas Macdonald in 1954
High Commissioner of New Zealand to the United Kingdom
In office March 1961 – May 1968
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Sir Clifton Webb
Succeeded by	Sir Denis Blundell
Minister of Defence
In office 13 December 1949 – 26 September 1957
Prime Minister	Sidney Holland
Preceded by	Fred Jones
Succeeded by	Dean Eyre
Minister of External Affairs
In office 26 November 1954 – 12 December 1957
Prime Minister	Sidney Holland Keith Holyoake
Preceded by	Clifton Webb
Succeeded by	Walter Nash
Minister of Island Territories
In office 26 November 1954 – 12 December 1957
Prime Minister	Sidney Holland Keith Holyoake
Preceded by	Clifton Webb
Succeeded by	John Mathison
Personal details
Born	Thomas Lachlan Macdonald (1898-12-14)14 December 1898 Invercargill, New Zealand
Died	11 April 1980(1980-04-11) (aged 81) Wellington, New Zealand
Political party	National Party
Military service
Allegiance	New Zealand
Branch/service	New Zealand Expeditionary Force
Years of service	1918–1919 1940–1943
Rank	Captain
Battles/wars	First World War Sinai and Palestine campaign Second World War North African campaign

Sir Thomas Lachlan Macdonald KCMG (14 December 1898 – 11 April 1980) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He served as Minister of Defence (1949–1957), Minister of External Affairs (1954–1957), and Minister of Island Territories (1955–1957), and was New Zealand High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (1961–1968).

Early life and war service

Macdonald was born in Invercargill on 14 December 1898, to parents Thomas Forsaith Macdonald, a farmer, and Margaret Ann Matheson. One of his great-grandfathers, Thomas Forsaith, was a member of the 1st New Zealand Parliament. Macdonald was educated at South School and Southland Boys' High School. He served in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Palestine in the First World War, and in the Second World War he served in Egypt, rising to the rank of captain until he was invalided home in 1943.

Political career

New Zealand Parliament

Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1938–1943	26th	Mataura			National
1943–1946	27th	Mataura			National
1946–1949	28th	Wallace			National
1949–1951	29th	Wallace			National
1951–1954	30th	Wallace			National
1954–1957	31st	Wallace			National

Macdonald was the Member of Parliament for Mataura 1938 to 1946, then Wallace 1946 to 1957, when he retired. He was Minister of Defence (1949–1957), Minister of External Affairs (1954–1957), and Minister of Island Territories (1955–1957) in the First National Government. From 1961 to 1968 he was the New Zealand High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Later life and death

In the 1963 New Year Honours, Macdonald was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George. He died in 1980.

Mount Macdonald in Antarctica was named for him by the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (1961–62).

References

• Gustafson, Barry (1986). From the Cradle to the Grave: a biography of Michael Joseph Savage. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00138-5.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.