CHAMBERLIN, HENRY (1825-88) was born at The Close, Norwich, England, the son of Henry Chamberlin, of Narborough Hall, Norfolk. He came to New Zealand with capital in 1853 and purchased the Waihoihoi estate, near Drury, and land at Raglan. He married in 1859, Elizabeth, daughter of G. H. Heard (Norfolk). Chamberlin later bought a large block of land at Hobsonville, extending to Riverhead. His brother Charles assisted him in the management. In 1866 he came to live permanently in New Zealand. He was much interested in coal and prospected a great deal of what was later the Drury coalfield. His farming operations were not successful.

In 1869, after failing in a Provincial contest, Chamberlin was called to the Legislative Council, of which he was a member until his death. He was not successful in politics and was generally averse to publicity. He did, however, each session, many years before its acceptance, introduce a motion prohibiting the employment of women in hotel bars; and he cordially supported the deceased wife's sister bill. Chamberlin throughout his life gave liberally to charities in his native town of Norwich, and to good causes in New Zealand. In later years he was a director of the South British Insurance Co. He devoted much attention to inventions, especially in the hope of coping with the rabbit nuisance; and until his death he was prospecting energetically for coal. In the early eighties he cut up much of his Raglan property to meet the demand for small farms. He died on 12 Apr 1888.

Cycl. NZ, ii; N.Z. Herald, 17 Apr 1888. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 1, page 91

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