This short street off Ranui Crescent was originally a private road servicing a subdivision, but was later taken over as a public road. The landowner, George James Macdonald, subdivided the land in 1957–1958 and the road took the maiden name of his wife. It seems most of the sections in the subdivision were built on in the early 1970s.
Jim Macdonald, known to his navy colleagues as ‘Mac’, was the most decorated New Zealand naval officer in WW2, and was one of the great motor torpedo boat commanders of that war. Wellington-born Macdonald married Evelyn Margaret Helen Mathieson (who was in the Women’s Royal Naval Service) in Aberdeen in 1945, and the couple settled in New Zealand the following year. They had one son and four daughters.
After returning to New Zealand Jim trained as an engineer and had a successful career with the Wellington City Council, serving as City Engineer from 1978 to 1982. He was very inventive; the vehicle turntable in Woodward Street (which many Wellingtonians will remember) being one of his innovations. There is an entry for him in the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, and an article about him on the website of the Royal New Zealand Navy museum.
Jim Macdonald died in 1982 aged only 60 but Evelyn continued living in the street named after her, subdividing her large section in 1989. She died in 2003, aged 84.
“Une bouteille à la mer?”
Too whom it may concern.
“In March 1942 MTB 31 of the 21st.MTB flotilla based in Felixstowe Suffolk UK had made a solo attack on a German convoy, sinking one ship, but the boat was then surrounded by enemy craft and set on fire.
The then Sub Lieutenant G J Macdonald (who later became my Godfather)supervised the placing of the wounded, including his CO…. Lt. Commander John Weeden , (my father) in a Carley float as they abandoned the vessel … After a time however the fire in the MTB abated and Macdonald,a strong swimmer , bravely swam back to board the MTB and fight the fire, enabling the MTB and boat’s crew including my father to be saved.”
My father sadly lost his life in a sailing accident in the English Channel after the war in August 1950
I have learnt very belatedly of course, but with sadness, of the deaths of G.J.Macdonald and his wife Evelyn but I would very much like to contact, to exchange memories, photos etc. any member of Macdonald/Mathieson family .
Kind Regards
Christopher John Weeden
Normandy France