Ceud Mile Failte.
A hundred thousand welcomes to this web page for the South Island branches of the Clan Donald Societies in New Zealand - the furthest flung members of our clan in the world.There are four separate "branches" of the Clan Donald Society in New Zealand. With the exception of the Auckland branch, they are located in the very South of the country in the cities of Invercargill, Dunedin and Christchurch. Contact Us.
History:
Below is a brief history of these Clan Donald branches.
The senior branch, Southland in Invercargill, was launched on 15th July 1959 as the Clan Donald Society of New Zealand. Their name was later altered to Clan Donald Society of New Zealand - Southland, following the establishment of other autonomous branches. Seventy-nine people attended the first meeting when it was held in 1959, and the Society still has a membership of around 60. A foundation member, Mrs.Mary Batt was a Life Member and Patron of the Southland branch until her death in April 2004. The Southland Branch in February 1999, dedicated a memorial cairn at Glencoe in Southland, to commemorate the massacre of 1692. Below is a scene of the dedication by Rev.Helen Wallis
Currently the affairs of Clan Donald in Southland are in the hands of Elma McDonald, as Secretary.
The first branch of the Clan Donald Society in N.Z. to be established after Southland, was Otago in Dunedin in 1960. Unfortunately this branch went into recess about 2 years later, but was re-established in 1990 under the Presidency of Colin F. McDonald, who was one of the original founders of the Invercargill Society. Colin died whilst in office, in 1991.
Shortly after the Otago branch of Clan Donald was inaugurated, the City of Christchurch was enlivened by the arrival of Clan Donald - Canterbury and about the same time Auckland also arrived on the scene. Today all four are alive and well.
One of the great joys which we have had, has been to see the way in which these four separate branches have re-established contacts with other Clan Donald members, not only "at home" in Scotland, but also with our kin in other parts of the world - notably the United States, Canada and Australia, and the valued connections which have now been made. Long may this continue.
In 1992, Bill McDonald of Milton, Otago, was appointed by Lord Macdonald of Macdonald, High Chief of Clan Donald, as Commissioner for the South Island, and he held this appointment until 2006 when he passed the task on to Elwyn Martin of Queenstown, who was in fact, a foundation member of the Society in Auckland befoie moving South. Elwyn’s major responsibilities are to liaise between the three South Island groups and other like bodies.If this is your first visit to our web site, and you are a member of Clan Donald by whatever name, you are doubly welcome, and urged to make contact with the branch of Clan Donald Society nearest to you. Please know that you will be welcomed as "family". To find that branch, try the THE HIGHLAND CONNECTION web site which is the principal web site for the Clan Donald in the United Kingdom.
OTHER SITES OF INTEREST:CLAN DONALD SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH
ARMADALE - THE CLAN DONALD CENTRE ON SKYE
Are you a member of Clan Donald and don't even realise the fact? Check out the Names of Clan Donald which you will find on the THE HIGHLAND CONNECTION site, and perhaps you might surprise yourself!
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This page has had 
visitors since 23 August 1998 .
Copyright by Clan Donald, New Zealand, 1998. The Clan Donald badge graphics provided by
The Highland Connection were used with permission.