Background

Ian and the Family

Ian McKinnon is a current Wellington City Councillor, having been elected to the Council in October 2004 from the Lambton  Ward - the Ward for the inner city and immediate suburbs.

Ian was born in Wellington, his father coming from Otago and his mother one of the Wellington Plimmers – the great grand-daughter of John Plimmer of the statue.

His early schooling took place in Khandallah and Washington DC (where his father was in the NZ Embassy), and then at Nelson College. This was followed by student years at Victoria University where he graduated with a B Com (in Economics and politics) and sat on the Students’ Association Executive as Vice President. He is also a graduate of Auckland University,  with the post graduate Dip Ed.

Ian has been married to Jenny for 35 years and they have two adult children, both working in Wellington. Ian and Jenny live in Te Aro and as Ian says, “I live, walk and work in the Lambton Ward.” Jenny and Ian attend St John’s-in-the City in upper Willis Street. He is a JP.

Ian McKinnon is a Wellingtonian and proud to be so and is in a position to  continue to serve his city and with your support, will be able to do so.

His career has been in education, working in schools in both New Zealand and abroad, returning to Wellington in 1992 to take up the appointment of Headmaster at Scots College. Wellington was the only city which would have attracted him and his family back from overseas.

On relinquishing the Headship of Scots, he set up a consultancy advising Boards of schools. Ian is also on the Council of Victoria University and is currently its Pro-Chancellor. He was Chair of the Wellington College of Education (prior to its merger with Victoria) and The Correspondence School, the Board on which he still sits.

Ian has had considerable experience in both senior management and governance, including in finance.

He has the QSO and the 1990 Comemoration Medal, both for services to NZ in the UK. He was man a Freeman of the City of London in 1992 and was made a Distinguished Alumni of Auckland University in 2005.

When the Mckinnon family returned from England in 1992 they were accompanied by a dog, Turvy, and 2 cats, Topsy and her daughter, Fluffy!