Robert William Dyer
Robert William Dyer | |
---|---|
![]() Robert William Dyer in 1901 | |
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(s) | Elizabeth Augusta Minnitt
(m. 1885) |
Occupation | solicitor |
Robert William Dyer was a solicitor, judge and served as mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand from 1901 to 1903.
Professional life[]
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,[5] then in 1905, a stipendiary magistrate in Auckland,[6] 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.[7]
Personal life[]
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.[8] 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,[9] late of the Waikato Militia,[10] which he commanded at Kihikihi.[5] She was a granddaughter of Sir Frederick Whitaker.[11]
He was survived by three sons and two daughters.[1]
- Elizabeth Caroline Dyer 1886–1967
- Eileen Dyer 1887–1969
- Robert William Dyer 1889–1962[12] Robert William was wounded during the war in 1915[13] and married in 1918.[14]
- Guy Musgrave Dyer 1891–1971
- Humphrey Goring Dyer 1896–1977[12]
He died on 5 August 1939 at his home on Lighthouse Road in Napier, aged 81.[15] His wife died in 1953[12]
Public life[]
Robert was elected to Hamilton Borough Council in 1899[16] and was Mayor of Hamilton from 8 May 1901[17] until 13 May 1903,[1] He had lost mayoral elections in 1898[18] and 1899,[19] but was elected unopposed in 1901[20] and 1902.[21] 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,[22] possibly a reason for his obituary describing him as an ardent supporter of Richard Seddon.[1]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f g "OBITUARY. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 4 Aug 1939. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "LAW AND POLICE. NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 17 Mar 1881. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Hamilton". nzetc.victoria.ac.nz. 1902. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Pars ABOUT PEOPLE. OBSERVER". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 Dec 1903. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "Pars ABOUT PEOPLE. OBSERVER". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 Dec 1903. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS. NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 28 Mar 1905. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "RUA'S TRIAL. AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 19 Jul 1916. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "THE LATE MR DYER. WAIKATO INDEPENDENT". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 3 Aug 1912. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Marriages. AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 Jun 1885. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "DEATH OF MAJOR MINNITT. WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 29 Jun 1900. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "AUCKLAND STAR". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 Jun 1885. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c "FamilySearch.org". ancestors.familysearch.org. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
- ^ "ROLL OF HONOUR. NEW ZEALAND TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 16 Jun 1915. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "EVERY LADY'S JOURNAL. GISBORNE TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 31 Aug 1918. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "DEATHS. NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 7 Aug 1939. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 16 Sep 1899. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "MAYORAL INSTALLATIONS. WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 9 May 1901. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1 Dec 1898. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2 Dec 1899. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 16 Apr 1901. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 22 Apr 1902. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "HAMILTON BOROUGH COUNCIL. WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 14 May 1903. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
- 1859 births
- 1939 deaths
- Mayors of Hamilton, New Zealand
- New Zealand lawyers
- Politicians from Auckland