John Rutherford Blair

John Rutherford Blair (1843 – 25 November 1914) was the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1898 to 1899.

He was born in Balphuock, Lanarkshire, Scotland, and was a paper merchant. His career started with a large Glasgow paper merchant firm. In 1860 he migrated first to Otago and then to Melbourne, Australia. In Melbourne he was appointed in charge of the printers Sands and McDougall. He came to Wellington as the company's representative in 1869. In Wellington he entered into partnership with William Lyon opening a premises called Lyon and Blair on Lambton Quay. When William Lyon died, Lyon's son Horatio joined the business. Blair brought Lyon out and continued the business under the name of Lyon and Blair. Lyon and Blair were then purchased by Whitcombes and Tombs. Blair went on to pursue his education interests and directorships of various businesses and institutions.^[1]

In 1880 he was appointed to the Education Board, becoming its chairman in 1882. This led to involvement with the Technical Education Board, and his eventually becoming chairman of the Wellington College board of governors until 1899. He was also a member of the school commissioners.

From 1899 to 1902 he was the first chairman of the reorganised Bank of New Zealand. At the time of his death he was chairman of the Wellington Investment Trustee and Agency Company, the Paparoa Coal Mining Company, and the Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Company. He was also a director the Gear Meat Company, E W Mills and Company, and the local director of the New Zealand Shipping Company.

From 1898 to 1899 he was elected Mayor of Wellington and a member of the Wellington Harbour Board. He was visiting Justice to Wellington gaols and a member of the Prisons Board.

Blair died at his residence of The Terrace, Wellington aged 71 years old after a fairly long illness. He was survived by his wife and son.

External links

• John Blair; photo, his business interests, and his involvement in the development of Kelburn

References

• No Mean City by Stuart Perry (1969, Wellington City Council) includes a paragraph and a portrait or photo for each mayor.

Mayors of Wellington City
Mayors	elected by councillors George Hunter William Guyton Joseph Dransfield Charles Borlase William Sefton Moorhouse elected at large William Hutchison Joseph Dransfield George Allen William Hutchison George Fisher Arthur Winton Brown Samuel Brown John Duthie Charles Johnston Arthur Winton Brown Francis Bell Alfred Brandon Charles Luke George Fisher Francis Bell John Blair John Aitken Thomas William Hislop Alfred Newman Thomas Wilford David McLaren John Luke Robert Wright Charles Norwood George Troup Thomas Hislop Will Appleton Rob Macalister Frank Kitts Michael Fowler Ian Lawrence James Belich Fran Wilde Mark Blumsky Kerry Prendergast Celia Wade-Brown Justin Lester
Mayoral elections	Annual term 1875 1876† 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 Biennial term 1899 1901 1903† 1905 1907 1909 1910‡ 1911† 1912‡ 1913 1915 1917† 1919 1921 1923 1925 1927 1929 1931 1933† Triennial term 1935 1938 1941 1944 1947 1950 1953 1956 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016
† Elected unopposed · ‡ By-election