Archibald Moses McNicol (3 August 1878 – 31 August 1933) was a
Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.
Early life and family
McNicol was born at
Waihola on 3 August 1878, the son of the Reverend John and Harriet McNicol.
He was educated at Union Street School in
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
,
before working on a dairy farm at
Edendale and as a shepherd in
Central Otago
Central Otago is located in the inland part of the Otago region in the South Island of New Zealand. The motto for the area is "A World of Difference".
The area is dominated by mountain ranges and the upper reaches of the Clutha River and tributa ...
during his youth.
He later purchased a farm at
Merton, north of Dunedin.
On 28 February 1911, McNicol married Daisy Edwina Paterson at Farndon, south of
Napier, and the couple went on to have three daughters.
Newspaper career
McNicol joined the ''
Otago Daily Times
The ''Otago Daily Times'' (ODT) is a newspaper published by Allied Press Ltd in Dunedin, New Zealand. The ''ODT'' is one of the country's four main daily newspapers, serving the southern South Island with a circulation of around 26,000 and a c ...
'' in Dunedin as a mining reporter, before moving to
''The Daily Telegraph'' in Napier, where he rose to become chief reporter. When the ''
Dannevirke Evening News'' was established in 1909, he became that newspaper's sub-editor, but shortly thereafter he was appointed managing editor.
McNicol served as a council member of the New Zealand branch of the
Empire Press Union The Commonwealth Press Union (CPU), formerly the Empire Press Union, was an association composed of 750 members in 49 countries, including newspaper groups (with several hundred newspapers), individual newspapers, and news agencies throughout the Co ...
, and as a director of the United Press Association.
He was a member of the New Zealand delegation to the 1930 Imperial Press Conference held in London.
Political career
He was elected to the
Pahiatua
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electorate in the
1919 general election, but was defeated in
1922
Events
January
* January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes.
* January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...
.
Other activities
McNicol served as a member of the board of governors of
Dannevirke High School, and chaired the local Repatriation Committee following
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
He also served as president of the Dannevirke Rugby Sub-Union, the Dannevirke Chamber of Commerce, and local
Rotary club.
McNicol died at his home in
Dannevirke on 31 August 1933, and was buried at Mangatera Cemetery. His wife died in 1972.
References
1878 births
1933 deaths
Reform Party (New Zealand) MPs
Unsuccessful candidates in the 1922 New Zealand general election
Unsuccessful candidates in the 1925 New Zealand general election
Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates
People from Otago
New Zealand journalists
New Zealand editors
New Zealand magazine editors
Burials at Mangatera Cemetery
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