14 Facts About William Rolleston

William Rolleston was a New Zealand politician, public administrator, educationalist and Canterbury provincial superintendent.

William Rolleston attended Rossall School and Emmanuel College, where he graduated in 1855 with second class honours in the classical tripos.

William Rolleston had intended to move to Canterbury but his father advised against it so he took up tutoring.

William Rolleston first joined the Canterbury Provincial Council when he was appointed to the Canterbury Executive Council on 4 December 1863.

William Rolleston held that office until the abolition of the provinces on 31 October 1876.

William Rolleston represented the Avon electorate from a by-election in 1868 to 1884.

In 1878 as an MP William Rolleston proposed a school for deaf children.

William Rolleston had won the 1896 election against George Warren Russell, but was defeated by him in 1899 by just one vote.

William Rolleston served as Minister of Justice in the government of Premier John Hall from December 1880 to April 1881.

William Rolleston was appointed Minister of Native Affairs in January 1881 after the resignation of John Bryce, heading the department as the Government prepared to invade the Maori settlement of Parihaka in November.

William Rolleston was replaced as minister by his predecessor, John Bryce, who three weeks later led a raid by 1600 Armed Constabulary on the settlement, the centre of a passive resistance campaign against the sale of Maori land.

William Rolleston married Elizabeth Mary Brittan in 1865 at Avonside, Christchurch; she was the daughter of Joseph Brittan.

William Rolleston died at his Rangitata farm at Kapunatiki on 8 February 1903.

William Rolleston is buried in the grounds of the former Holy Trinity Avonside church in Linwood, which was demolished in 2011 following an earthquake.