Sir Thomas Lachlan MacDonald, KCMG (14 December 1898 – 11 April 1980) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He served in both World Wars. He was a High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
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He was born in Invercargill. His parents were Thomas Forsaith Macdonald, a farmer, and Margaret Ann Matheson. One of his great-grandfathers, Thomas Forsaith, was a member of the 1st New Zealand Parliament. MacDonald was educated at South School and Southland Boy's High School. He was in the NZEF in Palestine in World War I, and in World War II he served in Egypt, rising to the rank of Captain until he was invalided home in 1943.[1]
He was the Member of Parliament for Mataura 1938-1946, then Wallace 1946-1957, when he retired.
He was Minister of Defence from 1949 to 1957 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1954 to 1957 in the First National Government.
From 1961 to 1968 he was the New Zealand High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
He was made a KCMG in 1963. He died in 1980.
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| Preceded by David McDougall |
Member of Parliament for Mataura 1938–1946 |
Constituency abolished |