REID, ROBERT CALDWELL (1832-97) was born in the north of Scotland, where his father owned the John o' Groats Journal. He left for Victoria in the early fifties, spent some time there and then came to the West Coast goldfields. He bought sections at Greymouth which he sold at a profit, and followed the rush to Okarito. There and at Hokitika he acted as storekeeper and as gold buyer for the Bank of New Zealand. In 1862 he accompanied the Otago expedition to the West Coast Sounds, which he described in Rambles on the Golden Coast (1884). Reid was associated with the West Coast Times, the New Zealander (Wellington), the Dunedin Herald, the Greymouth Star and the Westport News. He married (1869) Emily, daughter of James Manning (Dunedin). In the same year he represented Buller in the Nelson Provincial Council. He was chairman of the first school committee in Hokitika (1874). He was M.H.R. for Hokitika (1879-81), Seddon being the other member. In 1879 he was a member of the Young New Zealand Party. Reid died on 18 Mar 1897.

Parltry Record; Col. Gent.; Nelson P.C. Proc.; Preshaw; Reid, op. cit.; Hindmarsh; Harrop, Westland; Grey River Argus, 20 Mar 1897. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 2, page 113

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