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After Forty Years
Retirement Of Mr. G. H. Mackley, C.M.G.,
General Manager of Railways

(By “Headlight”)

The retirement on 31st January, 1940, of Mr. G. H. Mackley, C.M.G., from the position of General Manager of the New Zealand Railways on the completion of ‘40 years’ service with the Department, terminates the official career of one of New Zealand's notable sons. The second youngest son of a family of 9 boys and 4 girls, as a lad he early found that he had to make his own way in the world, and young Mackley's preliminary efforts as an economic unit included a message boy's duties before and after school at 3/per week and various “five-bob-aweek” jobs.

However, at the age of sixteen he entered the Railway Service as a cadet and began that career which brought him to the highest position in the Department at the comparatively early age of 48.

Born at Port Chalmers in 1883 and educated at the Invercargill Grammar School, Mr. Mackley's first railway employment was as a cadet in the traffic branch at Otautau, Southland. He worked at various stations in the Southland and Otago districts until 1907, when he was appointed clerk in the Christchurch goods department.

After being transferred on promotion to Petone and later to the Invercargill goods department, Mr. Mackley was appointed relieving officer, and in 1908 became the first stationmaster at Tuatapere, the southernmost station in New Zealand. He then served as stationmaster at Heriot, and afterwards was appointed the first stationmaster at Kaikohe, then the northernmost station in New Zealand. Later he was appointed stationmaster at Onerahi, and subsequently became assistant relieving officer in the Wellington district. Mr. Mackley was promoted to the position of divisional clerk in the District Traffic Manager's office at Wellington, and there qualified for further promotion. At this period of his career Mr. Mackley was called upon to undertake the special duties of advocate for the Department before the Railway Appeal Board. He transferred to Ohakune District Office in 1924 and was chief clerk there from 1925 to 1928, when he was transferred on promotion to the position of chief clerk to the General Manager, a position he continued to occupy until appointed Assistant General Manager in 1931. Mr. Mackley became General Manager in November, 1932, having succeeded the late Mr. P. G. Roussell, who died at Auckland while en route to Australia on official business.

Mr. Mackley was made a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in 1938 and he is also a Serving Brother of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. In May, 1933, he was gazetted Director of Railways in the New Zealand Military Forces, with the honorary rank of Colonel. Mr. Mackley has twice represented New Zealand at railway conferences in Australia.

The following further comments are from the “Evening Post,” Wellington:

“During his long period of service Mr. Mackley has been indefatigable in his efforts to extend the scope and improve the standard of the services which the Department makes available to the public, and during his general managership he has been responsible for the initiation of a large number of projects which have contributed to a notable improvement in the amenities of rail travel in this Dominion. Mr. Mackley will, however, be probably best remembered as the sponsor of the movement which led to the introduction of railcars in New Zealand and also as the guiding spirit behind the delicate negotiations which paved the way for the State acquisition of the privately-owned-and-operated bus services in the Wellington-Ngaio-Khandallah-Johnsonville area and the inauguration on that route of the present electric services.

“The movements which led to the introduction of these new units of passenger travel by rail were initiated and actively pursued by Mr. Mackley personally in the face of difficulties created by those who were not prepared to support his progressive outlook. The fact that many sections of the community now have at their disposal fast and comfortable railcar services, and that the residents in the Wellington-Johnsonville area have available a suburban transport system which competent observers universally acclaim as being unexcelled for comfort and efficiency, can be ascribed as being very largely, if not wholly, due to the foresight and tenacity of purpose of the retiring General Manager. Another innovation for which Mr. Mackley was directly responsible, and which has been greatly appreciated by women travellers and visitors from overseas, was the provision of the nursery at the railway station.

“A keen student of railway economics and literature since his cadetship days, Mr. Mackley possesses a particularly wide knowledge of all aspects of railways working as practised in Australia, Great Britain, and other leading countries. In addition, he has made a hobby of studying the technical side of operations, and although not a technical officer in the usual sense of the word, his understanding of purely technical subjects relating to railways working is as surprising as it is wide.

“The maintenance of a high degree of safety in the operation of train services was an objective assiduously pursued by Mr. Mackley throughout his whole career, and at no time did he spare himself in his endeavours to raise an already high standard of safe operation still higher and to maintain the reputation

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enjoyed by the railways of this country as being a system second to none in its adherence to, and practical application of, the principle of ‘Safety First.’

“He has worked untiringly in his efforts to raise the standard of personal service to the public and of train comfort in New Zealand, and it is probably true to say that no previous General Manager has so sedulously applied himself to a study of the requirements of those undertaking journeys by rail in the Dominion as has the retiring General Manager. He has at all times been greatly interested in the matter of carriage design and allied questions, and this interest has found tangible expression in the increasing numbers of carriages and sleeping-cars of modern design now in service and about to be put in service, all of which are equipped with the latest in seating facilities, airconditioning, and other amenities of a high order.

“Mr. Mackley's association with the staff of the Department has been equally pleasant and successful. Complimentary reference to his personal qualities was made in a recent issue of one of the service journals, which stated: ‘Members of the service with whom he has come into contact will agree that he is possessed of the highest personal qualities; that he is a staunch friend, and a kindly, generous, and courteous gentleman.’ Mr. Mackley carries with him into retirement the good wishes of a wide circle of friends both within and outside the service. In his retirement it is not too much to say that the Public Service loses a notable and wellknown figure and the public a good and faithful servant.

“At the present time Mr. Mackley is president of the Public Service Sports Society, Wellington; vice-commodore of the Otago Centennial Regatta Committee; vice-president of the Petone Rowing and Football Clubs; a life member of the Whangarei Regatta Committee and Ohakune Croquet Club; a member of the Wellington Racing, Trotting, and Wellesley Clubs; and patron or president of numerous railway sporting bodies.”

Typical of press comments on the occasion of Mr. Mackley's retirement is the following from the “Star-Sun,” Christchurch:

“With the retirement of Mr. G. H. Mackley from the position of General Manager of Railways, the Department loses an extraordinarily efficient officer. Mr. Mackley, in his forty years of service, did not become steeped in conservative tradition, and to his credit stands the fact that the attitude of the railways service towards the general public and especially the commercial community was entirely changed….”

Apropos of the above recent editorial comment it is interesting to quote from the “N.Z. Times” of the 10th March, 1921. In a paragraph headed “If I Were a Millionaire,” the late Mr. John Bevin, at that time District Traffic Manager, Wellington, was reported as saying: “If I were a millionaire and owned a private railway and wanted a young and capable General Manager I would select Mackley. If Mackley were in a business firm he would soon reach the top.”