Born in Hobart, Tasmania, in 1842, Goldie emigrated to New Zealand in 1863.[1][2]
He was a prominent timber merchant, a strict Primitive Methodist, and one-time Grand Master of the New Zealand Grand Orange Lodge.[3]
He was the father of artist C. F. Goldie.
On 27 November 1873, Goldie was elected to the Auckland Provincial Council for the Auckland West electorate. He remained a councillor until the abolition of provincial government at the end of 1876.
Goldie contested the Auckland West electorate in a by-election on 4 March 1879. The by-election was caused by the resignation of Patrick Dignan, who also stood in this contest. Dignan and Goldie received 261 and 776 votes, respectively, and with a majority of 515 votes, Goldie was declared elected.[5] He served until the dissolution of parliament on 15 August of that year.
Goldie represented the Auckland West electorate again from 1887 to 1890. He then represented the Newton electorate from 1890 to 1891 as a Liberal MP, when he resigned.
In December 1898, Goldie was elected mayor of Auckland.[1] He was returned without opposition to this role in 1899 and 1900. He retired as mayor prior to the municipal elections in April 1901[7] rather than toast the visiting Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York with alcohol later that year. He was replaced as mayor for the jubilee year by the Father of Auckland, Sir John Logan Campbell.
He died at his home in Auckland on 8 June 1926 and was buried at Purewa Cemetery.[1][8]
