James Alexander Robertson Menzies (21 February 1821 – 18 August 1888) was the first

superintendent Superintendent may refer to: *Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank *Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator *Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...

of the

Southland Province The Southland Province was a province of New Zealand from March 1861, when it split from Otago Province, until 1870, when it rejoined Otago. History Following the passage of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 by the British Parliament, New ...

in New Zealand from 3 August 1861 to November 1864, during its breakaway from

Otago Province The Otago Province was a province of New Zealand until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. The capital of the province was Dunedin. Southland Province split from Otago in 1861, but became part of the province again in 1870. Area an ...

(1861 to 1870). He continued serving on the Provincial Council after his superintendency ended. During Menzies' tenure as superintendent, two railways projects were undertaken, a railway to link

Invercargill Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of t ...

to the port at

Bluff Bluff or The Bluff may refer to: Places Australia * Bluff, Queensland, Australia, a town * The Bluff, Queensland (Ipswich), a rural locality in the city of Ipswich * The Bluff, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a rural locality * Bluff River (New ...

and a wooden railway to Winton. The former is now known as the

Bluff Branch The Bluff Branch, officially the Bluff Line since 2011, is a railway line in Southland, New Zealand that links Invercargill with the port of Bluff. One of the first railways in New Zealand, it opened in 1867 and is still operating. Presently, it e ...

, while the latter was upgraded to the standards of a normal railway and extended to ultimately form the

Kingston Branch The Kingston Branch was a major railway line in Southland, New Zealand. It formed part of New Zealand's national rail network for over a century: construction began in 1864, Kingston was reached in 1878, and it closed in 1979. For much o ...

. Menzies served on the Legislative Council for 30 years, from 1858 until his death in 1888, and promoted the interests of Southland.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Menzies, James Alexander Robertson 1821 births 1888 deaths Superintendents of New Zealand provincial councils People from Southland, New Zealand Members of the Southland Provincial Council Members of the New Zealand Legislative Council New Zealand farmers Scottish surgeons Members of the Otago Provincial Council Scottish emigrants to New Zealand 19th-century New Zealand politicians

See also

References