Hugh Percy Murray-Aynsley (8 October 1828 – 22 February 1917) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in Canterbury, New Zealand.

Murray-Aynsley was born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1828. His father was John Murray-Aynsley (1795–1870) from Little Harle Tower,^[2] his grandfather was Lord Charles Murray-Aynsley (1771–1808), and his great-grandfather was John Murray, 3rd Duke of Atholl (1729–1774).^[3][4][5] His mother was Emma Sarah Peach, and his mother's grandfather was Henry Cruger.^[4] His grandfather was baptised as Charles Murray and upon his marriage to Alicia Mitford (1768–1813), the heiress of her great-uncle, Gawen Aynsley, Esq, he assumed the additional surname Aynsley. Murray-Aynsley was educated privately; his tutor later became Bishop of Ely.^[6]

For a time, Murray-Aynsley managed a sugar plantation in Trinidad for his cousin, Sir William Miles, with the firm operating as Miles & Co.^[2][6] He came to Melbourne on the Royal Bride, and from there to New Zealand in 1858, arriving on the Queen in Lyttelton.^[6][5]

He was manager and the principal partner for the Christchurch branch of Miles & Co, a stock and station agency.^[5] He married Elizabeth Campbell on 7 June 1859.^[4] In 1862, Murray-Aynsley purchased Riverlaw, a rural property at the bottom of Rapaki Track adjacent to the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River originally owned by Alexander Lean.^[7] Sometime between 1885 and 1892, Murray-Aynsley had a two-storey homestead built. He sold Riverlaw in 1905 to George John Smith, who further enlarged the house including the addition of a third storey. On 6 September 1984, the house was registered with Heritage New Zealand as a Category II heritage place, with registration number 3728;^[8] Riverlaw was regarded as one of the finest colonial homes in Christchurch.^[9] It was significantly damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and demolished soon after.^[10]

Murray-Aynsley also bought the Mount Hutt Station in the Canterbury foothills from Alexander Lean.^[5][11]

In 1873, he was one of the founders of the New Zealand Shipping Company. He was one of the directors, and then chairman of directors until his death.^[6]

He was a member of the Canterbury Provincial Council for the Town of Lyttelton electorate from 6 February 1864 to 7 May 1866.^[12] He was a member of the Canterbury Executive Council from 22 July 1862 to 13 November 1863 under Robert Wilkin, and for a few days until his resignation under Thomas Cass.^[13][14] He was Deputy Superintendent from 31 May 1869 to August 1872 and stood in for William Rolleston in 1869 who was in Wellington attending Parliament.^[15][6]

He represented the Lyttelton electorate in the House of Representatives from 1875 to 1879, when he was defeated by Harry Allwright, the Mayor of Lyttelton.^[16][17]

Note that some sources, for example Wilson (1985) and Scholefield (1950), list him under the surname Aynsley.

Murray-Aynsley died on 22 February 1917 at his residence at 38 Holly Road, St Albans, Christchurch.^[18] He was buried at Woolston Cemetery.^[19]

A variety of geographic features commemorate Murray-Aynsley. A spur of the Port Hills above the old homestead is known as Murray Aynsley Hill.^[20][21] Two roads on the true right of the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River, initially known as River Road, were renamed. While Murray-Aynsley was still alive, the road from Opawa Bridge to Rapaki Track was renamed Aynsley Terrace; the homestead was located at the Rapaki Track end of this road.^[22][23] The next section of road upstream from here was renamed to Riverlaw Terrace in the following year some months after Murray-Aynsley's death.^[24][25] Harold Street in Sydenham was on land that belonged to Murray-Aynsley; it was initially known as Aynsleys Alley No 4, and then Aynsley Street.^[26]