Sir Francis Henry Renouf (31 July 191813 September 1998) was a New Zealand stockbroker and

financier An investor is a person who allocates financial capital with the expectation of a future return (profit) or to gain an advantage (interest). Through this allocated capital most of the time the investor purchases some species of property. Type ...

Early life

Born in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...

on 31 July 1918, Renouf was the son of Mary Ellen Renouf (née Avery) and Francis Charles Renouf. He was educated at

Wellington College Wellington College may refer to: *Wellington College, Berkshire, an independent school in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England ** Wellington College International Shanghai ** Wellington College International Tianjin * Wellington College, Wellington, Ne ...

and

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well kno ...

where he graduated

Master of Commerce Master of Commerce (MCom or M Comm; sometimes '' Magister Commercii'' as MagComm or Mag. comm.) is a postgraduate master's degree focusing on commerce-, accounting-, management- and economics-related subjects. Like the undergraduate Bachelor of Co ...

in 1940. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Renouf served as a captain in the

2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

, but captured in Greece in April 1941, and spent four years as a prisoner of war in Germany (Biberach, Warburg, Eichstatt). On his return to New Zealand, he was awarded an Armed Services Scholarship and studied for a Diploma in Politics and Economics at

Worcester College Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, from 1947 to 1949. Renouf played tennis for New Zealand Universities between 1938 and 1940, and Oxford University, gaining an

Oxford Blue A blue is an award of sporting colours earned by athletes at some universities and schools for competition at the highest level. The awarding of blues began at Oxford and Cambridge universities in England. They are now awarded at a number of other ...

in tennis in 1948 and 1949.

Business career

Renouf was a businessman and a stockbroker from 1950 as a partner in the Wellington stockbroking firm of Daysh, Renouf & Co (the firm was originally Daysh, Longuet and Frethey). He introduced

unit trusts A unit trust is a form of collective investment constituted under a trust deed. A unit trust pools investors' money into a single fund, which is managed by a fund manager. Unit trusts offer access to a wide range of investments, and depending ...

to New Zealand, and founded New Zealand's first merchant bank, the New Zealand United Corporation. He initiated the first NZ share index in 1957; the NZUC index and the first listed property company, Property Securities Ltd. He was the first to provide underwriting services for equity and local authority debt issues. Daysh, Renouf & Co became known as Renouf & Co in 1977. Renouf set up three companies in 1981; Frank Renouf & Co, Renouf Corporation Ltd and Renouf Properties Ltd.

Other activities

Renouf was president of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association (1985–86). He was a supporter and follower of tennis and was a foundation member and president of the International Club of New Zealand. The Renouf Tennis Centre in Wellington is named after him. Renouf supported many Wellington cultural and sporting projects; the Michael Fowler Centre (1975), Downstage Theatre (1977), Wellington Cathedral (1978), the Renouf Sports Centre at Wellington College (1983) and the Renouf Tennis Centre (1986). In the 1987 New Year Honours, Renouf was appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are th ...

, for philanthropic services.

Marriages

Renouf was married three times. In 1954, he married Ann Narie Harkin, and the couple had four children before divorcing in 1985. He wed his second wife, Susan Renouf (born Susan Rossiter; also known as Susan Peacock and Susan Sangster), in 1985 and they divorced four years later. His third wife (1991) was Michèle Suzanne Mainwaring, to whom he was briefly married.

Death

Sir Francis Renouf died in

, New Zealand in 1998, aged 80.

References

Sources

*Obituary in ''Dominion'' (Wellington) of 14 September 1998 (pages 1,11). *''Sir Francis Renouf: an autobiography'' (1997, Steele Roberts, Wellington) *''Behind the Mirror Glass'' by

Bruce Jesson Bruce Edward Jesson (1944 – 30 April 1999) was a journalist, author and political figure in New Zealand. Early life Bruce Edward Jesson was the son of Victor John and Edna Cavell (née Taylor) Jesson and the great-grandson of an immigrant fro ...

(1987, Penguin)

External links

Renouf Tennis Centre website

Renouf Tennis Centre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Renouf, Frank 1918 births 1998 deaths People educated at Wellington College (New Zealand) New Zealand Knights Bachelor New Zealand military personnel of World War II New Zealand prisoners of war in World War II World War II prisoners of war held by Germany 20th-century New Zealand businesspeople New Zealand stockbrokers Businesspeople awarded knighthoods New Zealand male tennis players Victoria University of Wellington alumni Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford New Zealand sports executives and administrators