RHODES, WILLIAM BARNARD (1807-78) was the eldest son of William Rhodes, of Epworth, Lincolnshire, Plains House, the Levels, and Balby, Yorkshire. He went to sea at an early age, and in 1826 was second officer of the ship Samdaney, in which he sailed to India and China. He made other voyages to the east in trading vessels, and in 1831 commanded the brig Harriet, in which he held a third share (in partnership with Ashley and Porter). The next five years he spent trading in many parts of the world. In 1836 he sold the Harriet to Weller brothers and acquired property in Australia, including land which he stocked with sheep, cattle, and horses. In the same year he took command of the barque Australian (in partnership with Cooper and Levy, merchants, of Sydney), and he spent the next two years whaling in the Pacific and particularly round the New Zealand coasts, where he learnt something of the country.

In 1839-40, on behalf of Cooper, Holt and Rhodes, he established trading stations on the New Zealand coast, including one at Entry Island (Kapiti), of which he held the original grant. His claim to have purchased from the natives a large area in Hawkes Bay was disallowed by the commission. He purchased 100,000 acres of land at Akaroa from Captain Francis Leathart (who had acquired it from Taiatoa and other chiefs). In Nov 1839 he brought from Sydney in the barque Eleanor nearly 40 pure-bred Durham cattle and landed them at Akaroa, establishing the first cattle station in the South Island, and leaving William Green in charge. Rhodes gave up his seafaring life and made his home in Wellington, where he established himself as a merchant and landowner and erected at Te Aro in 1841 the first substantial wharf in the town. He advised his younger brothers (Robert Heaton, George, and Joseph, q.v.) to come to New Zealand, and with the two former took up large pastoral runs in Canterbury. These were managed by Robert and George, although William had a controlling interest for several years. The brothers imported large numbers of sheep from Australia. Rhodes also owned considerable property in the North Island, including Heaton Park estate, Rangitikei, and a large area now covered by the City and suburbs of Wellington. In the sixties, he built at Wadestown a fine home called The Grange. Practically the whole of the country between the Wadestown and Hutt roads, as far north as the Kaiwarra stream, he used as a run. In the sixties a herd of alpacas, imported from South America by the Provincial Council, was depastured here for some years, until the Government was forced to admit that the venture was hopeless financially. The alpacas were taken over by Rhodes, who sent them to Purau, Banks Peninsula. Among many undertakings in which Rhodes played his part were the establishment of the New Zealand Shipping Co., the Bank of New Zealand and the New Zealand Insurance Co. He was a man of great business ability, prudent and industrious. He was M.H.R. for Wellington Country District (1853-55) and for Wellington City (1858-66). In the Wellington Provincial Council (1861-69) he consistently supported Featherston. He was a member of the Legislative Council from 1871 until his death (on 2 Feb 1878).

Rhodes married first (1852) Sarah (d. 1862), daughter of John King, solicitor, Wellington; and second (1869) Sarah Anne, sister of William Sefton Moorhouse (q.v.). (See GEORGE, JOSEPH, and ROBERT RHODES)

Family information from Mrs P. R. Woodhouse; Wellington P.C. Proc.; Woodhouse; Ward; Cycl. N.Z., i (p); Col. Gent.; The Dominion, 7 Aug 1929; N.Z. Times, 3 Feb 1878; Evening Post, 24 Apr 1917, 19 Sep 1929. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 2, page 118

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