Bill MacGibbon

William Smith MacGibbon (1891 – 11 May 1962) was a New Zealand businessman and politician.

Biography Early life and career MacGibbon was born in Edinburgh before emigrating to New Zealand with his parents as a child. They settled in Rangiora where he was educated at the local public school. In 1904 he gained employment with the Post and Telegraph Department before leaving in 1907 to join the staff of an accountancy firm in Ashburton. He moved to Christchurch in 1908 to work at the legal firm Duncan, Coterill and Company. He also taught accountancy and was a lecturer at both Christchurch Technical College and University of Canterbury between 1911 and 1919. He was an accountant for the firm until 1917 when he started his own accountancy business together with a business partner, Mr W. J. Mason. They established the firm of MacGibbon, Mason and Company before MacGibbon became the sole proprietor in 1921.

From his accountancy business, his business interests spread out to the insurance industry as well. He became one of Christchurch's best known businessmen and was a director of several other companies. He became involved with the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce and was president from 1938 to 1941 and later a life member. In 1940 he was president of the Associated Chamber of Commerce of New Zealand. He was chairman of many council committees and at the time of his death he was chairman of the electricity committee. He was interested in the beautification of the city. He gave the MacGibbon gates at Hagley Park to the city, paid for the fence at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and put protection in place for Cathedral Square to remain a centrepiece for the city. As chairman of the Harbour Board he oversaw an upgrade in the port facilities to accommodate larger sized ships. In 1946 he was elected the chairperson of the Transport Board.

He was an early advocate of metropolitan town planning and would go on to become a long time member of the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority where he helped to see a regional plan for the area come to fruition. He had previously tried to do so as a member of the Metropolitan Town Planning Committee.

The city council decided against either making an appointment or holding a by-election to fill the vacancy caused by his death and his seat remained empty until the scheduled 1962 elections in October.

Honours MacGibbon was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to commerce and local government, in the 1952 Queen's Birthday Honours. The following year, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.