David Murdoch (politician)

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The Honourable
David Murdoch
Member of the New Zealand Legislative Council
In office
22 June 1950 – 31 December 1950
Personal details
Born(1887-01-23)23 January 1887
Ngapara, New Zealand
Died10 June 1960(1960-06-10) (aged 73)
Dunedin, New Zealand
Spouse
Rebecca Espie
​
(m. 1917)​

David Murdoch (23 January 1887 – 10 June 1960) was a New Zealand farmer, storekeeper and politician. He was appointed a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council on 22 June 1950.

Biography[edit]

Born at Ngapara in North Otago on 23 January 1887, Murdoch was the son of Alexander Murdoch and Alice Hunter Murdoch (née Howden).[1][2]

Murdoch took up farming, and was a sheep farmer at Waitahuna for many years, serving as president of the Waitahuna Agricultural and Pastoral Society and on local branch committees of the New Zealand Farmers' Union.[3] Prior to becoming politically active, he was best known as a judge at sheep dog trials.[4] In the 1930s, he became a storekeeper at Brighton, south of Dunedin, where he remained for 15 years, and served as president of the local football and bowling clubs.[3]

Murdoch was the National candidate in the Dunedin South electorate in 1943 and in Dunedin Central electorate in 1949, but was unsuccessful on both occasions.[5][6] He stood for selection in the St Kilda electorate for the 1946 but lost to Leonard James Ireland.[7] He served as the chair of the Otago–Southland division of the National Party.[8] In 1950, he was appointed to the Legislative Council as a member of the suicide squad nominated by the First National Government to vote for the abolition of the council. Most of the new members (like Murdoch) were appointed on 22 June 1950, and served until 31 December 1950 when the council was abolished.[9]

Family[edit]

On 5 April 1917, Murdoch married Reba Rebecca Golden Muir Espie,[10] and the couple went on to have three sons.[4] Murdoch died in Dunedin on 10 June 1960.[11] His wife died a few months later, on 1 December the same year.[12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Birth search: registration number 1887/516". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Birth". The Oamaru Mail. Vol. X, no. 3285. 24 January 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Legislative Council". Otago Daily Times. No. 27423. 23 June 1950. p. 6. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b "General election". Otago Daily Times. No. 25288. 27 July 1943. p. 2. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  5. ^ "The General Election, 1943". National Library. 1944. p. 11. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  6. ^ "The General Election, 1949". National Library. 1950. pp. 1–5, 8. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  7. ^ "The election". Otago Daily Times. No. 26230. 14 August 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Upper house". Ashburton Guardian. Vol. 70, no. 212. 23 June 1953. p. 2. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  9. ^ Wilson, J.O. (1985) [1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Government Printer. p. 159.
  10. ^ "Marriage search: registration number 1917/3850". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Cemeteries search". Dunedin City Council. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  12. ^ "Cemeteries search". Dunedin City Council. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
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