Roderick Braithwaite

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Roderick Braithwaite
24th Mayor of Hamilton
In office
1953–1959
Preceded byHarold David Caro
Succeeded byDenis Rogers
Personal details
Born
Roderick Alastair Macdonnell Braithwaite

(1901-08-13)13 August 1901
Dunedin, New Zealand
Died3 April 1963(1963-04-03) (aged 61)
Hamilton, New Zealand
Spouse(s)
Nora Kathleen Arey
​
(m. 1932)​
RelationsJoseph Braithwaite (father)
David Braithwaite (son)
John Braithwaite (brother)
Rewi Braithwaite (brother)
Warwick Braithwaite (brother)
Nicholas Braithwaite (nephew)
Rodric Braithwaite (nephew)

Roderick Alastair Macdonnell Braithwaite (13 August 1901 – 3 April 1963) was a New Zealand politician. He was mayor of Hamilton from 1953 to 1959.

Early life and family[]

Braithwaite was born in Dunedin on 13 August 1901,[1] one of the youngest sons of Joseph Braithwaite, bookseller and later mayor of Dunedin, and his wife, Mary Ann Braithwaite (née Bellett). He was one of at least 16[2][3] and as many as 22 children,[4] born to the couple.

His brothers included John Braithwaite, who was convicted and executed for mutiny during World War I and pardoned by the New Zealand government in 2000;[2][3] Rewi Braithwaite, who played in New Zealand's first official international soccer match, against Australia in 1922;[5] and Warwick Braithwaite, who became an orchestral conductor.[4]

Braithwaite married Nora Kathleen Arey, the daughter of bookseller William Ewbank Arey, on 21 June 1932.[6][7]

Mayoralty[]

Braithwaite served two terms as mayor of Hamilton, from 1953 to 1959.[8] He called the first public meeting that led to the establishment of the Waikato Savings Bank in 1958, and served as the first chair of its board of trustees.[9]

Death and legacy[]

Braithwaite died on 3 April 1963, and was buried at Hamilton Park Cemetery.[10] His widow, Kathleen Braithwaite, served as a Hamilton city councillor between 1962 and 1974, including a period as deputy mayor,[8] and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to the community in the 1963 Queen's Birthday Honours.[11] Their son, David Braithwaite, unsuccessfully stood for the Hamilton mayoralty in 1998, but was elected to that office in 2001.[8] He was defeated in his bid for re-election in 2004.[12]

References[]

  1. ^ "Birth". Evening Star. 14 August 1901. p. 4. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b McGibbon, Ian. "Braithwaite, John". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  3. ^ a b Gibb, John (25 April 2009). "Military scandal put to rights". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  4. ^ a b "British composer arrives". Northern Star. 2 April 1947. p. 9. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  5. ^ "1904–59". The ultimate New Zealand soccer website. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Marriage search registration number 1932/8514". Births, deaths & marriages online. Internal Affairs. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Obituary: Mr. William E. Arey". New Zealand Herald. 8 October 1935. p. 12. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  8. ^ a b c Aronson, Cathy (14 October 2001). "New Waikato mayor savours role reversal". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  9. ^ "Trust Bank Waikato (1987–1996)". The Community Archive. Archives New Zealand. 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  10. ^ "Cemetery search". Hamilton City Council. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  11. ^ "No. 43012". The London Gazette. 8 June 1963. p. 4832.
  12. ^ "Michael Redman becomes new Hamilton mayor". New Zealand Herald. 9 October 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
Political offices
Preceded by
Harold David Caro
 Mayor of Hamilton
1953–1959 		Succeeded by
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