David Buick

David Buick (29 April 1848 – 18 November 1918) was a New Zealand politician of the Reform Party. A New Zealand-born sheep breeder, he represented farming interests in Parliament. He owned racing horses and won various high-profile races. He died in office in the 1918 influenza epidemic.

Early life Buick was born in Wellington in 1848. His father, William Buick, had come to Wellington in 1841 on the Arab from England. Buick senior farmed in the Hutt Valley, with Buick junior taking over the farm in 1867. On 5 June 1876, he married Mary Ann (Polly ) Buick (née Hill), daughter of I. M. Hill from Nelson.

In 1881, Buick junior bought land in the Manawatū's Kairanga Block.

The next election contested by Buick was the 1908 general election. Buick won the second ballot with a majority of 93 votes (2811 versus 2718 votes for Buick and Wood, respectively). Hugh Crabb was the official candidate for the Liberal Party and the Mayor of Palmerston North, Jimmy Nash, was also a member of the Reform Party. Buick, Thorn, Crabb and Nash received 2739, 1686, 1476 and 1077 votes, respectively. He represented the electorate until his death.

His political interests centred on farming issues. Buick had a conservative outlook, but rejected that label. During the war, he was a stern critic of conscientious objectors. Buick bred race horses and they won several high-profile races, which certainly helped his political career. He played a fundamental role in establishing the freezing works in Longburn. For some time, he was the president of the Manawatu Caledonian Society. Buick had a serious case of influenza in April 1918. He died in Wellington on 18 November 1918 during the height of the influenza epidemic of 1918. A fellow MP, Alfred Hindmarsh, had died of influenza only five days before him. After Buick's death, the Prime Minister, William Massey, adjourned the House of Representatives as 18 other members were also ill. Buick was buried in Palmerston North survived by his six children. His parents, William Buick (d. 1880) and Agnes Buick (d. 1897), are buried in the same family plot as David Buick and his wife.