William Barnard Rhodes
| William Barnard Rhodes | |
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William Barnard Rhodes, circa 1870s
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| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Wellington Country |
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In office 18 August 1853 – 15 September 1855 |
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| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for City of Wellington |
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In office 27 July 1858 – 27 January 1866 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 1807? England |
| Died | 11 February 1878 |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah King (died 1862) Sarah Ann Moorhouse |
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William Barnard Rhodes (1807? – 11 February 1878) was a New Zealand businessman, pastoralist and politician. He was probably born in Lincolnshire, England, but took up a career at sea at an early age. When he died in Wellington, he was described as one of the richest people in the country.
Rhodes was the son of William Rhodes, a wealthy tenant farmer born in Yorkshire. His mother was Theodosia Maria Rhodes (née Heaton). Rhodes Jr. was baptised on 9 May 1807 in Epworth, Lincolnshire, England. He was a second officer on a merchant vessel by the age of 19, and by 1831 he had his own command. After visiting South America, Africa, and India, Rhodes ended up in Australia, where he formed a partnership with a local company to acquire land in New Zealand. Rhodes established his base of operations in Wellington in 1840, and the extensive farming ventures he established became very profitable. Before long he was able to buy out his partners in Sydney, and he became known as one of the richest people in Wellington. His business was originally based around exporting the produce from his farms, but later broadened to include imports, shipping, insurance and finance. At the same time, he continued to expand his holdings, buying and selling huge amounts of land.
As a result of his prominence in the Wellington community he decided to enter local politics. He served on the Wellington Provincial Council, where he was a strong supporter of Isaac Featherston.
He was then elected to the 1st New Zealand Parliament as the representative for the Wellington Country seat, covering Miramar, Makara, Porirua, the Kapiti Coast and Horowhenua, from 1853 to 1855. From 1858 he represented the City of Wellington electorate in the 2nd Parliament and the 3rd Parliament, but failed to win re-election in 1866. He was later appointed to the Legislative Council.
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