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	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.

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, ^[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]

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. ^[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]

• Elizabeth Caroline Dyer 1886–1967
• Eileen Dyer 1887–1969
• Robert William Dyer 1889–1962 ^[11] Robert William was wounded during the war in 1915 ^[12] and married in 1918. ^[13]
• Guy Musgrave Dyer 1891–1971
• Humphrey Goring Dyer 1896–1977 ^[11]

He died on 5 August 1939 at his home on Lighthouse Road in Napier, aged 81. ^[14] His wife died in 1953 ^[11]

Public life

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]

References