- Thomas Brash
Thomas Brash (1874-1957) was a leading figure in
New Zealand 'sdairy industry and one of only four lay moderators of theGeneral Assembly in the history of thePresbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand . He was the father of Presbyterian andEcumenical church leaderAlan Brash , and grandfather ofGovernor of theReserve Bank and Leader of the National PartyDon Brash .Family & childhood
Thomas Cuddie Brash was born to William Brash and Jane Parkinson Brash (nee Cuddie) at
Saddle Hill , nearDunedin , onNovember 29 ,1874 . His parents were descendants of Scottish settlers who lived in Dunedin, and they bought their own farm of convert|400|acre|km2 atMataura Island,Southland . Brash attended a small school near Yeovil, but had no formal secondary education.Dairy years
Apprenticeship
At 15 he was employed by his uncles James and Richard Cuddie as a
boilerman in theirdairy factory atMosgiel . While in Mosgiel he joined the "Taieri Ramblers’Cycling Club" and became well-known for his successful cycle races.Management
In 1895 he was appointed first assistant manager at the
Wyndham dairy factory, where he learnt cheese-making. Dairy expertJohn Sawers arranged for him a successful application for the position of manager ofTotara Flat dairy factory, nearReefton . The four directors who met him off the train, astounded at his youth, advised him of the difficulties of managing a dairy factory on the West Coast, and offered him the chance to withdraw. Brash, however, set to work improving the quality of the operations. Many had complained about the sour taste of the factory's butter, and Brash had his staff spend three months cleaning the factory with immediate success.Christian conversion & church work
While at Totara Flat, Brash was rebuked by the local
Presbyterian minister David Anderson for his lack offaith , and his indulgence indrinking ,swearing andgambling . As a result he became a regular attendee and committed member of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. He participated as anelder and aBible Class leader, and was twice appointed president of theBible Class Union .North Island work
Brash left Totara Flat in 1898 to become manager of the
Maketawa dairy factory inTaranaki . In 1903 he became manager of the Waverley dairy factory, and later moved to theKairanga dairy factory. He gained a reputation for his demands for meticulous cleanliness.He studied
accountancy while in Waverley, and became a registered accountant in 1911.Marriage & family
Brash married Margaret Henrietta Allen at Wyndham on
17 July 1901 , with whom he had two daughters and two sons, the youngest of whom was Alan Brash.National Dairy Association
In 1910 Brash and his family moved to
Wellington where he joined theNational Dairy Association of New Zealand as an assistantsecretary . He was appointed the association's representative inLondon in 1919, and in 1921 returned to New Zealand to become secretary. He worked diligently to promote New Zealand dairy produce in Britain, and helped to establish the "New Zealand Dairy Produce Control Board" (now known as theNew Zealand Dairy Board ), for which he was appointed the inaugural secretary andchief executive for 16 years. He was also involved in the establishment of the "Dairy Research Institute" at Massey Agricultural College.Other ventures
In 1915 he purchased an
orchard in Nelson, which his son Jim managed for many years. He applied his knowledge ofexport controls andmarketing , acquired through his position in the dairy industry, to the fruitgrowing market, and in 1924 was elected as president of theNew Zealand Fruitgrower's Association . Other business ventures included Brash's role as director and chairman of asalt -producing company atLake Grassmere .He was honoured as a life member of the Federated Farmers of New Zealand.
Church years
Presbyterian Church
While in Wellington Brash became acquainted with leading Presbyterian minister James Gibb. As he got older he shifted his focus from agriculture and business to ecclesiastical matters. He continued as an elder, and by the end of his life had served the church for 51 years in that role. He was a church
property trustee for 37 years andchairman of the trustees for 12 years. He chaired theFinance Committee, acted as convener of the "Youth of the Church Committee" in 1918, and in the 1940s was deeply involved in theCampaign for Christian Order . In 1944 he was only the secondlayman to be electedmoderator of theGeneral assembly .Ecumenical movement
Brash was a keen supporter of the
ecumenical movement , laying the foundations for the more prominent role of his son Alan. He attended the meeting of churches adhering to thePresbyterian system atLausanne in 1920, and participated in the inaugural meeting of theWorld Council of Churches inAmsterdam in 1948.Final years
Brash and his wife spent the last years of their lives troubled by ill health, and moved to
Christchurch to live with their elder daughter Pearl Bennett and her husband.Thomas Brash died on
January 19 ,1957 .References
* Fraser, Ian W. [http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=4B47 'Brash, Thomas Cuddie 1874 - 1957'.] "Dictionary of New Zealand Biography", updated
7 April 2006
* NZine: [http://www.nzine.co.nz/features/brash1.html Interview with The Very Reverend Dr. Alan Brash] ,23 July 1999
* Blue Gum Tree: [http://www.bluegumtree.com/people/profile.asp?person=225 Family of Thomas Cuddie Brash]
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