Famous Matakanuians
Here is some information on some famous local residents. If you have information about the Matakanui area or residents that you would like to share please do contact us with your story.
George Mackenzie inventor of the MacKenzie Permanent and Reversible Eyelet Available in Both Black and Tan
We received this informative email from Mr Johnny Wedderburn sharing the history of another famous Matakanui resident George MacKenzie. The email is reproduced below, many thanks to Johnny for sharing this interesting and entertaining biography.
"Dear Trev
You may already know of another famous Matakanuian, George MacKenzie who was born in the area in the early 1920's.
Although he did not show much aptitude at the local school and often referred to the fours years in standard six as the happiest time of his life, he did manage to get an apprenticeship with the blacksmith in Cambrians, the small Welsh settlement north of Matakanui, when he left school at the age of thirteen.
He was a big boy for his age and the blacksmith found him very useful as an apprentice especially when any heavy lifting was required. It was never clear why, after 17 years as an apprentice, he never managed to pass his trade qualification. Some believe it was because he was not the sharpest knife in the draw but most agree it may have been a ploy to allow this boss to get away with paying him a lot less as an apprentice than a qualified blacksmith.
Whatever the reason George eventually left his employment with the blacksmith and set up on his own as a general engineer (unqualified) in the nearby town of St Bathans.
He became well known for his ability to fix anything made of metal and soon farmers from as far away as Alexandra and Palmerston would bring work to him to be done.
It was in the early 1950's on a warm summer's evening in late February that Shorty Williamson, a local man who worked for the New Zealand Post and Telegraph as a linesman, arrived at his house and asked him to fixed three metal eyelets which had become dislodged from a pair of boots he owned.
George spent a long time looking at the hole where the missing eyelets had been and slowly realised that not only could he fix the problem in front of him but knew there was money to be made for anyone who could invent a permanently fixed reversing eyelet and make it available in both black and tan.
He quickly got to work and after he had repaired Shorty's boots he set about designing and perfecting what was to become known as the MacKenzie Permanent and Reversible Eyelet Available in Both Black and Tan.
Within two years he had managed to secure a world wide patent and when the royalties started rolling in he moved to Christchurch where he had built a large Art Deco house near Sumner.
He spent most of the year visiting Engineering Trade shows around the world but always returned to New Zealand at Christmas to attend the Omakau races and catch up with old friends in the Central Otago area."
Johnny Wedderburn
Ted Duggan ran Duggan's Store in Matakanuiuntil his retirement in 1980. If you visit the store today you can still see the dust covered unsold mechanside on the shelves.
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This picture was taken by one of New Zealand's best known photographer's Robin Morrison. More about Robin can be found at his website www.robinmorrison.co.nz