Thomas Mackenzie

by Cathy Jones

Alderman [1892 –1911], Mayor [1898-1902, 1908-1911] & NSW Parliament – Member for Canterbury [1901-1907]

Thomas Mackenzie [1854-1934] was a farmer, accountant and politician. Mackenzie served on Strathfield Council as an Alderman [1892-1911], Mayor of Strathfield [1898-1901, 1908-10] and Executive member of Municipal Association of NSW [1899-1911]. He was elected to NSW Parliament as Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly for Canterbury [1901-07] representing the Free Trade Party, later the Liberal Party.

He also served as treasurer of Western Suburbs Cottage Hospital [1904] and Australian Protestant Defence Association. Mackenzie was auditor for AMP Society for many years and lived at ‘Albermarle’ 9 Shortland Rd, Strathfield. Mackenzie Street Strathfield is named for him.

Mackenzie was a descendent of Alexander Kenneth Mackenzie, a merchant and pioneer of the NSW Colony who arrived on the Admiral Cockburn in 1822.

Thomas Mackenzie married Marian Priddle, the daughter of the Rev. Charles Frederick Priddle of St Lukes Anglican Church, Liverpool. His son Keith was born at ‘Albermarle’ at Strathfield in 1890.

He died in 1934 at Neutral Bay, moving from Strathfield after the death of his wife in 1923.

Reference

Cyclopedia of New South Wales, 1907

Mouwle L M, ‘Pioneer Families of Australia’, 5th Edition, Rigby Ltd, 1978.

Radi, Spearitt & Hinton, Biographical Register of the New South Wales Parliament 1901-1970, ANU Press 1979

Strathfield Council meeting minutes.

@Cathy Jones 2009 (revised 2021)