ROBERTS, SIR JOHN (1845-1934) was born in Selkirk, Scotland, and attended the Cheltenham Grammar School, the Edinburgh Academy and the Edinburgh Institution. On leaving school he spent two years in his father's woollen mill in Selkirk before sailing for Australia in 1864 to study wool production. After four years he came to New Zealand and founded the firm of Murray, Roberts and Co. in Dunedin in 1868. In public life he was a member of the Otago Provincial Council for Kaikorai (1873-75) and for many years chairman of the Taieri county council. He was mayor of Dunedin in 1889, president of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition (1889-90), and a member of the council of Otago University (1885-1921). Four times he was president of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral association, and he was on the Otago harbour board and chamber of commerce. He was a member of the royal commission on federation in 1901 and of that on enemy aliens in 1915. Roberts was a director of the New Zealand Refrigerating Co., the Mosgiel Woollen Co., the Union Steam Ship Co., the Milburn Lime and Cement Co., the Dunedin Saleyards Co., the New Zealand Hardware Co., the Colonial Bank, Donaghy's Rope and Twine Co., and the Trustees, Executors and Agency Co. (C.M.G., 1891; K.B., 1920.) In 1892 he was admitted a freeman of Selkirk. He died on 13 Sep 1934, surviving by 12 years his wife Louisa, daughter of Charles H. Kettle (q.v.).

Cycl. NZ, iv (P); Who's Who NZ, 1908, 1924, 1932; Otago Witness, 21 Jun 1932 (p); Evening Post, 14 Sep 1934.

Reference: Volume 2, page 125

🌳 Further sources