Mackay John Scobie Mackenzie (1845-1901)

‘Scobie’ was born at Tain, Ross-shire, Scotland in 1845, the third son and fourth surviving child of Roderick and Mary Anne (nee Scobie) Mackenzie. Roderick migrated to British Guyana as a young man and later made a fortune as a sugar planter only to lose it when slavery was abolished. He returned to Scotland. Scobie was sent to the john Watson Institution in Edinburgh where he displayed a flair for essay writing and developed a loathing for mathematics.

In 1861/62 he left with his Mother and sister Alexia to join his two older brothers, Alec and Kenneth, in Victoria, Australia. Alec died soon after. Scobie roughed it on a barren form on the border of New South wales, becoming an expert stockman. He coped with the isolation by writing essays for the ‘Australasian’ and the ‘Argus’. He ended his time in Australia as an overseer on Meningoort station.

In 1870’s Mathew holmes and Donald McLean offered him a job of managing Deepdell station in Otago. Deepdell ran over 30,000 sheep and was situated next door to the Shag Valley run of the Bell family. He became friends with sir Francis bell and his family and in 1876 married Jessy Adela Bell, the only daughter. In 1875 they purchased the lease of Kyeburn station of 110,863 acres. By 1883 he bought out his partners, thus establishing his place in the Otago’s elite.

He entered Parliament in 1884 to 1893 and again  from 1896-1899 always as an Independent. His wit and charm earned him the reputation as one of the best speakers in Parliament