Robert William Dyer | |
---|---|
14th Mayor of Hamilton | |
In office May 1901 – May 1903 | |
Preceded by | George Edgecumbe |
Succeeded by | Charles Barton |
Personal details | |
Born | 1859 Mahurangi |
Died | 3 August 1939 (age 79-80) Napier |
Spouse |
Elizabeth Augusta Minnitt
(m. 1885) |
Occupation | solicitor |
Robert William Dyer (1859-1939) was a solicitor, judge and the mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand from 1901 to 1903.
Robert was articled to E. A. Mackechnie, a leading Auckland solicitor, and admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court at the unusually early age of age of 21[1] in 1881.[2][3] He became a leading Auckland solicitor before moving to the Waikato, to enter into partnership with Sir Frederick Whitaker, of Hamilton,[1] managing the Kihikihi and then the Cambridge branch of the business, before moving to Hamilton in 1889,[4] when Sir Frederick's health was failing. He became registrar of deeds in Invercargill in 1903,[4] then in 1905, a stipendiary magistrate in Auckland,[5] then Rotorua and, about 1918, in Hawke's Bay. After nine years he retired to Napier.[1]
As stipendiary magistrate at Whakatāne, he gave evidence in the lengthy case against Rua Kenana Hepetipa in 1916.[6]
Robert was born in Mahurangi, the son of Robert Coates Dyer, at that time a farmer, who subsequently became a member of Auckland Provincial Council and later a teacher at the Church of England Grammar School, Parnell, and then headmaster at Cambridge District High School.[7] Robert went to his father's Parnell school and to St. John's College, Tamaki.[1]
On June 23, 1885, at St Paul's Church, Auckland Robert was married to Elizabeth Augusta Minnitt, eldest daughter of Major Charles Goring Minnitt,[8] late of the Waikato Militia,[9] which he commanded at Kihikihi.[4] She was a granddaughter of Sir Frederick Whitaker.[10]
He was survived by three sons and two daughters.[1]
He died on 5 August 1939 at his home on Lighthouse Road in Napier, aged 81.[14] His wife died in 1953[11]
Robert was elected to Hamilton Borough Council in 1899[15] and was Mayor of Hamilton from 8 May 1901[16] until 13 May 1903,[1] He had lost mayoral elections in 1898[17] and 1899,[18] but was elected unopposed in 1901[19] and 1902.[20] In summing up his 3½ years on the council, he said the streets were in better order, but regretted making no progress with a replacement of the Union Bridge and not completing the water supply scheme. Money had been spent on a dinner for the prime minister,[21] possibly a reason for his obituary describing him as an ardent supporter of Richard Seddon.[1]