Roderick Alastair Macdonnell Braithwaite MBE, (13 August 1901 – 3 April 1963) was a New Zealand politician. He was mayor of Hamilton from 1953 to 1959.
Roderick Braithwaite | |
|---|---|
| 24th Mayor of Hamilton | |
| In office 1953–1959 | |
| Preceded by | Harold David Caro |
| Succeeded by | Denis Rogers |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Roderick Alastair Macdonnell Braithwaite 13 August 1901 Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Died | 3 April 1963 (aged 61) Hamilton, New Zealand |
| Spouse |
Nora Kathleen Arey (m. 1932) |
| Relations | Joseph Braithwaite (father) David Braithwaite (son) John Braithwaite (brother) Rewi Braithwaite (brother) Warwick Braithwaite (brother) Nicholas Braithwaite (nephew) Rodric Braithwaite (nephew) |
Early life and family
editBraithwaite 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
editBraithwaite 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
editBraithwaite 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
edit- ^ "Birth". Evening Star. 14 August 1901. p. 4. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ a b McGibbon, Ian. "Braithwaite, John". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
- ^ a b Gibb, John (25 April 2009). "Military scandal put to rights". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ a b "British composer arrives". Northern Star. 2 April 1947. p. 9. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
- ^ "1904–59". The ultimate New Zealand soccer website. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
- ^ "Marriage search registration number 1932/8514". Births, deaths & marriages online. Internal Affairs. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ "Obituary: Mr. William E. Arey". New Zealand Herald. 8 October 1935. p. 12. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ a b c Aronson, Cathy (14 October 2001). "New Waikato mayor savours role reversal". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ "Trust Bank Waikato (1987–1996)". The Community Archive. Archives New Zealand. 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
- ^ "Cemetery search". Hamilton City Council. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ "No. 43012". The London Gazette. 8 June 1963. p. 4832.
- ^ "Michael Redman becomes new Hamilton mayor". New Zealand Herald. 9 October 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2016.