![]() ![]() ![]() Following the replacement of Coghlan by Howard Unwin Moffat as premier, on 14 October 1927, Downie was reshuffled into the portfolio of Mines and Public Works, but continued to take a considerable interest in agricultural affairs. On 2 January 1925, he became Minister of Agriculture and Lands and in this capacity he played an important part in popularising Rhodesian tobacco in London, in encouraging the cotton industry and in promoting agricultural co-operative efforts. On 1 September 1924, he was appointed to Premier Charles Coghlan's ministry as Colonial Secretary. At the first general election for the Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly on 29 April 1924, he was elected with Francis James Newton to the seat of Mazoe under the system of double member constituencies then in existence. Subsequently he became Chairman of the Rhodesia Party and was responsible for much of the work of party organisation. John Downie later sold his interests in the firm, and in 1920 he became manager of the Salisbury Farmer's Co-operative, holding this post till the period of the end of Chartered Company Rule in 1923.ĭownie was a keen advocate of responsible government and served as treasurer of the Responsible Government Party. He was interested in a number of gold mining ventures, and in addition to his firm acted as manager of the Portland Cement Works for some time. Subsequently, he joined the firm of Haddon, Cotton & Butt, a Rhodesian shipping and forwarding house, where he later rose to be managing director. On his return, he was appointed secretary of a small mining company. In 1900 he returned to Glasgow in order to study, coming back to Africa in 1901. On 15 October 1899, following the declaration of the Anglo-Boer War, Downie volunteered to join the Francistown Defence Force under the leadership of Umfreville Percy Swinburne. He worked for a time as a postmaster in Francistown, Bechuanaland Protectorate. Here he worked on the line in the construction process from Bechuanaland to Bulawayo. The son of Christopher Downie, a Guard on the Caledonian Railway and later Lanark Station Master, was born on 28 December 1876 in Hutchesontown, Glasgow, emigrating to South Africa in 1897 to work on the Cape Railways. John Wallace Downie CMG (1876 – 22 August 1940) served as High Commissioner of Southern Rhodesia from 1930 to 1935. ![]()
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