Robert Wright (New Zealand politician)

He represented the Wellington South electorate in Parliament from 1908 to 1911 when he was defeated, then the Wellington Suburbs and Country electorate from 1914 to 1919 and the Wellington Suburbs electorate from 1919 to 1938. In the 1935 contest Wright stood as an Independent and was successful.[1] He was defeated for the Wellington West electorate in 1938.[1] In 1935 and 1938 he was not opposed by the National Party, and he habitually voted with National.[2]

He was Minister of Education from 1926 to 1928 in the Reform Government. Towards the end of the Coates Ministry, he was Minister of Labour for less than a fortnight.[3]

In 1935, Wright was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[4]

He was to stand for the National Party for Wellington Suburbs in the 1941 general election, which was postponed to 1943 because of the war.[5]

Wright was elected to the Wellington City Council in 1913, and stood for and was elected Mayor of Wellington in 1921, the same time as Wellington's first female Councillor, Annie McVicar, was elected. Wright was Mayor until 1925.[6] On 31 October 1924 Wright opened the de Lux Theatre on the corner of Cambridge Terrace and Majoribanks Street. In 1930 the building was sold and renamed the Embassy Theatre and was the site of the premiere of Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.[7]

He was born in Dunedin to Robert and Lydia Esther Wright, who moved to Hokitika on the West Coast when he was an infant. They had nine children; a brother, Hercules Richard Wright was a notable Rugby League player. Robert was educated at the Scots Grammar School. He married Elizabeth Coulter from the Wairarapa in 1898, and they had two daughters. He was a printer with the Government Printing Office, then for 17 years with the New Zealand Mail. Then with W. J. Carman he founded the printing firm of Wright and Carman. He was a member of the Church of Christ. He died at home in Kelburn, Wellington.[8]