Delving into the life of Chch's greatest forgotten businessman

A new biography has been released about the life of one of Christchurch’s greatest benefactors.

Robert McDougall, the “forgotten philanthropist”, built up his biscuit and confectionery company, Aulsebrooks, in the early 1900s.

He went on to become the city’s largest private employer and eventually one of its greatest benefactors.

The Robert McDougall Art Gallery, which was funded by a gift of $25,000 from Mr McDougall, remains in the Botanic Gardens to this day. The Christchurch City Council-owned building is currently run by the Canterbury Museum.

The biography covers Mr McDougall’s life from his birth in Melbourne, his parents settling in Christchurch in 1863, his early education at Melville House and Christ’s College, to his initial business experience with the Colonial Bank of New Zealand, which led to his purchase of Aulsebrooks in 1889.

It then delves into how he developed the business to become the NZ’s leading biscuit and confectionery manufacturer and the city’s largest private employer.

The book explains how his success in the biscuit business enabled him to exercise a lifetime of philanthropy through World War 2 and the Great Depression.

The idea to write the book was first suggested to Mr McDougall’s grandson, Timothy Seay, by the senior curator of the Robert McDougall Art Gallery, Neil Roberts, in 2002. However, it was not until the pair met a second time in 2014 that work on creating the book began.

Mr Seay said he was surprised a book had not been written about his grandfather.

“He really was a philanthropist in the true sense of the word,” he said.

“He was a wonderful employer, he was great to his staff and he was way before his time in that sense.”

Mr McDougall built sports facilities for his employees and was known for helping them in times of need.

Christchurch-based historian Jennifer Haworth was approached by Mr Seay to delve into the life of his grandfather.

With very limited information available through family records, Haworth spent more than two years scanning through newspapers and official records kept by the many organisations Mr McDougall was a part of.

Haworth’s research revealed that he was heavily involved in the early Canterbury Industrial Association and numerous other business organisations. He gave generously to patriotic appeals during and after World War 2.

• The 400-page book costs $49.95 and can be purchased at Whitcoulls, Paper Plus, Piccadilly Bookshop, Scorpio Books or online at nationwidebooks.co.nz.