Sir Robert Anderson inducted into the NZ Business Hall of Fame

Friday, 26 March 2021

Sir Robert Anderson has been recognised for his significant contribution to Southland with his induction as a 2020 laureate into the NZ Business Hall of Fame.

Prominent Invercargill businessman and benefactor Sir Robert Anderson has been recognised for his significant contribution to Southland with his induction as a 2020 laureate into the NZ Business Hall of Fame.

The Young Enterprise Trust, which owns the NZ Business Hall of Fame, inducted the laureates at a function in Auckland on Thursday evening and a presentation was made by the Governor General the Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy to Sir Robert’s great-grandson, Robert Anderson, of Riverton, who accepted the citation and lapel pin on behalf of the family.

Anderson Jnr said it was a great honour for the family.

“We're rapt, especially with what's happening at Anderson House,” he said, referring to the home that had been bequeathed to Invercargill City and housed the Invercargill Public Art Gallery.

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The building was closed in 2014 because of earthquake concerns, but it is planned to reopen it to the public following seismic strengthening and other remedial work authorised by the Invercargill City Council in October 2020.

“It's devastating that it took 18 months to build in 1925, and it’s been closed for seven years,” Anderson said.

He hoped the gallery would be reopened to the public and also used as a function centre.

Walking on stage to accept Sir Robert's honour in front 500 people was “pretty nerve wrecking for a country boy from Southland”, Anderson said.

It was all thanks to his cousin Jenny McLeod who did the spade work to check if Sir Robert qualified for the NZ Business Hall of Fame.

It had been a journey of discover for Anderson who only knew his great-grandfather from stories.

Just this week, the family discovered a wedding invitation from Sir Winston Churchill and a diary detailing a five-month trip to England in 1908.

“Now we're trying to track down how he knew Churchill,” Anderson said.

While no-one in the family had pursued prolific careers in business, he said listening to speeches from young people at the ceremony gave him hope that there would be businesspeople of Sir Robert's calibre in the future.

The chairman of the 2020 selection panel Sir Eion Edgar said “the panel was highly impressed with Sir Robert Anderson’s services to commercial enterprise and his outstanding contribution to the Invercargill community through Anderson Park.

“The NZ Business Hall of Fame celebrates the achievements of New Zealand’s distinguished business leaders who have made a significant contribution to the social and economic development of New Zealand.

“After the event postponement in 2020, due to Covid-19, we are delighted to see the 2020 laureates, including Sir Robert Anderson, inducted into the NZ Business Hall of Fame,” Sir Edgar said.

The award citation in full

Sir Robert was born in Queenstown on September 26, 1866 and at the age of 12 joined the Southland Building Society in Invercargill as one of its first office boys.

His role was to fill inkwells and clean the office floors – but he was destined for bigger things subsequently joining the mercantile firm Murray Dalgleish and Co.

On May 1, 1888 Sir Robert Anderson married Elizabeth Maria Walker and the couple had four children – Hugh, Douglas, Irene and Kathleen.

In 1888, he took up employment with J.G.Ward Farmers’ Association then joined forces with Joseph Ward who was Prime Minister from 1906-1912 and again from 1928-1930. In 1898, they established the successful Invercargill mercantile firm J.G.Ward and Co.

Sir Robert was initially J.G.Ward’s accountant before becoming managing director. His business acumen and integrity led to his appointment to numerous boards around New Zealand, and he had a special connection with shipping, for many years serving as a board member of the New Zealand Shipping Company, being appointed chairman in 1941.

A key appointment was as a director of the Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company (Australasia) Limited, subsequently becoming its chairman. Other directorships included the Bank of New Zealand, New Zealand Insurance Company Limited, the New Zealand Express Company Limited and the Permanent Investment and Loan Association.

He was also a member of the Local Government Loans Board and chair of both New Zealand Milk Products Limited and Stewart Island Oyster Canneries Limited.

In 1930 Sir Robert was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) and was knighted (KCMG) for his commitment to commerce and public service in 1934.

In 1940, he was honoured as a Knight of the Order of St John of Jerusalem.

Known for his modest and humble approach his only public comment on attaining his knighthood was – “I’ve had my ups and downs but who hasn’t”.

He is credited with playing an important role in the development of Southland serving on the Bluff Harbour Board, the Southland High School Board of Governors and the Southland Electric Power Board.

Sir Robert took an interest in farming both in Waikiwi and Dipton in Southland and later gifted 242ha of his Dipton property to the Crown for settlement farms for discharged WWII soldiers and the Anderson Trust, set up to administer the allotment of the farms, also made grants to widows and orphans of servicemen.

On May 1, 1888 Sir Robert married Elizabeth Maria Walker and the couple had four children – Hugh, Douglas, Irene and Kathleen.

Their Invercargill Gala St home was donated to the Plunket Society in the 1920s and named the Anderson Plunket Home. They also made a significant contribution to the founding of the Southland Museum.

In 1910 the Andersons purchased the neglected 121ha Victoria Park, which included 20ha of native bush, on the outskirts of Invercargill.

Sir Robert was a collector of Maori artifacts and in 1920 a wharenui or meeting house, known as Te Wharepuni o Anehana, was built in the grounds. The imposing Georgian style Anderson House, designed by Christchurch architect Cecil Wood, was constructed in 1925.

Sir Robert died in October 1942 and Lady Anderson remained living in the house until her death in 1951 when the family honoured their wishes by gifting Victoria Park to Invercargill city.

It was renamed Anderson Park and housed the Invercargill Public Art Gallery, which was established in the homestead in the same year.