Robert Heaton Rhodes (1815 – 1 June 1884) was a New Zealand politician, who represented the Akaroa electorate from 1871 to 1874, when he resigned. He was elected unopposed in 1871. Born in 1815 in

Rotherham Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...

, in the English county of Yorkshire, he followed his brothers, including William Barnard Rhodes, to New Zealand in 1850, having worked in Australia. He lived at Purau and managed properties on Banks Peninsula belonging to the Rhodes brothers. He built a large house in Christchurch, ''Elmwood'', where he died. He was a founder of several early business enterprises, including the

New Zealand Shipping Company The New Zealand Shipping Company (NZSC) was a shipping company whose ships ran passenger and cargo services between Great Britain and New Zealand between 1873 and 1973. A group of Christchurch businessmen founded the company in 1873, similar ...

and the Kaiapoi Woollen Manufacturing Company. On 24 August 1853, Rhodes stood in the Akaroa electorate for a position in the House of Representatives but was beaten by

William Sefton Moorhouse William Sefton Moorhouse ( 1825 – 15 September 1881) was a British-born New Zealand politician. He was the second Superintendent of Canterbury Province. Early life Moorhouse was born in Yorkshire, England, and baptised on 18 December 1825; th ...

. On 31 August 1853, Rhodes stood in the Akaroa electorate for one of two positions on the

Canterbury Provincial Council The Canterbury Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876. Its capital was Christchurch. History Canterbury was founded in December 1850 by the Canterbury Association of influential Eng ...

. Rhodes won the election but there was a draw for second place and the returning officer gave his casting vote to Rev. William Aylmer, meaning that Moorhouse was not elected. A short time later, Moorhouse stood in the same electorate for the House of Representatives and was successful. His eldest son Sir

Heaton Rhodes Sir Robert Heaton Rhodes (27 February 1861 – 30 July 1956), usually known as Sir Heaton Rhodes, was a New Zealand politician and lawyer. Life Rhodes was born in Purau on Banks Peninsula, the son of sheep farmer and politician Robert Hea ...

(1861–1956) had a long Parliamentary career.

References

*''George Rhodes of the Levels and his brothers'' by A.E. Woodhouse (1937, Whitcombe & Tombs, Auckland)
''The Rhodes Brothers'' from the 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand

External links

''Elmwood'' in 1899
now the site of Heaton Normal Intermediate 1815 births 1884 deaths Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives New Zealand MPs for South Island electorates Members of Canterbury provincial executive councils Unsuccessful candidates in the 1853 New Zealand general election English emigrants to New Zealand People from Rotherham 19th-century New Zealand politicians Moorhouse–Rhodes family {{NewZealand-politician-stub