Robert Coulter

Robert Coulter (1891 – 31 December 1945) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.

Biography Early life and career Robert Coulter was reported to have been born in 1891 in Christchurch and went to Woodend Public School. However, a Robert Coulter gained a prize in Standard 2 at Woodend District School in 1894. Children at that time had to attend school from age 7 to 13. Possibly he showed early talent and/or was born before 1891. He had a brother, J. J. Coulter and a sister, who lived in either Wellington, or Timaru. He never married. In 1915 he defended not being a volunteer for service in World War I, but in 1917 he was conscripted into the forces, though he was given exemptions twice. He went to camp in May 1917 with the 29th Reinforcement. They reached France in October 1917, but it seems Coulter was back by March 1918.

Political career

In October 1918, he was re-elected to the council, becoming Mayor in April 1921. He was also president of Te Aroha Chamber of Commerce and Te Aroha Aero Club By the election campaign in October he had been adopted as the official candidate of the Liberal Party and had also been endorsed by the Country Party. He was defeated by the incumbent MP Charles Macmillan of the Reform Party. During the election he was widely quoted for comments he made at an election meeting in Te Aroha where he called Reform's leader Gordon Coates as a "good sort" and a "straight goer". Reform friendly newspapers were eager to report such praise from a political opponent.

He won the electorate in as the Labour Party candidate, but, with rearrangement of boundaries, was defeated in Hauraki in 1938 by Lieutenant- Colonel J. M. Allen. He then moved his residence to Hamilton, in succession to Lee Martin, who was retiring due to ill health. The 1941 election was cancelled, so it was not until 1943 that he was elected for Raglan. Coulter was something of a political anomaly, being elected twice in rural electorates that usually returned Reform or National MPs.

Death and commemoration By mid-1945 Coulter was in indifferent health for many months and had an undisclosed operation in Wellington. Afterwards, he went to stay with relatives in Timaru for recuperation. While staying there his condition worsened to the point he had to enter Timaru hospital. He died there on 31 December 1945.