Heaton Rhodes

Who was Heaton Rhodes?

Sir Robert Heaton Rhodes KCVO KBE VD, usually known as Sir Heaton Rhodes, was a New Zealand politician and lawyer.

Rhodes was born in Purau on Banks Peninsula, the son of sheep farmer and politician Robert Heaton Rhodes. He came to England to attend Brasenose College, Oxford, from which he graduated in 1884. He was called to the bar by the Inner Temple in 1887.

He then returned to New Zealand, joined the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, and served in the Second Boer War in 1902 with the 8th New Zealand Contingent. He later went on to command the 1st Mounted Rifles in the New Zealand Territorial Force. After retirement he was Honorary Colonel of the 1st Mounted Rifles.

He represented the Ellesmere electorate in the House of Representatives from 1899 to 1925, during which time he joined the Reform Party. He retired in 1925 and was appointed to the Legislative Council, in which he served until 1941, with a short break between 1932 and 1934.

He served as Postmaster-General and Minister for Public Health, Hospitals and Tourist Resorts in the Cabinet from 1912 to 1915, when he was appointed Special Commissioner to Egypt and Galilee to report on the conditions of New Zealand troops serving there. In 1916 he moved to Europe as Commissioner of the New Zealand Red Cross. For this role he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1920 New Year Honours.