THE 1930s
McKay was founded in the 1930s by Tom McKay, at a time when New Zealand was recovering from the Great Depression. A chance move to Dargaville and the arrival of electricity in the Far North set the business on a path that would define its future.
In 1933, Tom McKay met Mona Chapman in Napier, and the pair married in December 1934. A trip north to Dargaville in 1936 proved significant. A chance meeting with local plumber Jim Robertson led to an agreement under which Robertson would handle the plumbing work and Tom would take on the electrical work in the town as electricity arrived in the Far North. Tom and Mona returned to Napier, sold half of Tom’s existing business, and relocated to Dargaville that same year. Plans to trial the move were cut short when Mona became unwell and passed away in August 1936. Tom sold the remainder of his Hawke’s Bay business and committed fully to building McKay in Dargaville.
Tom leased McKay’s first premises on the corner of Victoria and Poto Streets for £2.10 a week, establishing an electrical workshop and later a retail shopfront. As electricity consumption surged following the formation of the North Auckland Electric Power Board, Tom expanded into retail, selling radios and household appliances.
McKay Electrical was formally registered in February 1938. Household wiring became the backbone of the growing business, and a small team of staff joined Tom.
With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, work slowed, and Tom served in the Air Force, wiring military camps across the North Island. That same year, he married Jean Gordon, whose administrative skills became vital to the business.
After the war, Tom rebuilt operations, supported by a booming economy and rising demand for electrical appliances. Contracting work remained central to McKay’s growth.
Tom McKay
- Role:
- Director
- Start:
- 1936
- End:
- 1982
Tom McKay was the founder of McKay Limited, a pioneering entrepreneur whose resilience, leadership, and vision built the foundations of one of the most enduring electrical contracting businesses in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
1936 • Tom McKay travelled north to Dargaville
In early 1936, Tom and his wife, Mona, met local plumber, Jim Robertson, who proposed a working arrangement: Jim would undertake all the plumbing work in town, while Tom would handle all the electrical work. Tom agreed.
1936 • Tom sold half of his Napier business
With his sights now set on Dargaville, Tom and Mona made a quick trip back to Napier. After selling half of the business to Mr Quigley, they packed up and moved to Dargaville, planning to trial the move for six months.
1936 • Tom made his move to Dargaville permanent
In August 1935, Mona sadly passed away. Tom decided to sell the remaining half of his business to Quigley, giving him a welcome injection of capital. With his connection to Napier now at an end, he committed himself fully to building his business in Dargaville.
1938 • Tom formally registered McKay's Electrical Limited
Having thrown everything into his work in Dargaville since Mona’s death, Tom officially registered McKay’s Electrical Limited on 11 February 1938. By then, he had become a contractor for the local power board, and household wiring became the backbone of the business.