HOUSTON, ROBERT MORROW (1842-1912) was born in County Down, Ireland, the son of the Rev. T. Houston, D.D., and educated at Belfast Academy and Queen's College. Arriving in Lyttelton by the Canterbury in 1864, he remained in Christchurch for six months, and then went to Auckland, where he was employed as a school teacher at Whangarei, Otara and Otahuhu. His pupils won two out of three of the first state scholarships given in the province. Houston kept a store in Mangonui for many years, and was interested also in the timber and kauri gum industries.

He was chairman of the Mangonui town board and Oruaiti district board, and for 24 years chairman of the Mangonui county council. In 1890 he was elected to Parliament for Bay of Islands, which he represented until 1908. He was a fluent speaker, well versed in parliamentary forms, and for 15 years was chairman of the native affairs committee (retiring in 1906 owing to ill-health). Houston married in 1870 Tina, sister of James Stewart, C.E., Auckland. He died on 27 Sep 1912.

N.Z.P.D., 1 Oct 1912; Who's Who N.Z., 1908; Cycl. NZ, ii; N.Z. Herald, 28 Sep 1912.

Reference: Volume 1, page 225

🌳 Further sources