Robert Walls

Robert Walls (18 September 1884 – 6 November 1953) was a New Zealand businessman and politician of the Labour Party.

Biography

Early life and career Walls was born and educated in Dunedin in 1884. He was educated locally at High Street and Union Street Schools before proceeding to serve a carpentry apprenticeship. He then entered trade as a cabinetmaker, after which in partnership with John McCracken, purchased ownership of Laidlaw and Sons, a piano repairing and tuning business, renaming the business as McCracken and Walls, Ltd. The business evolved to be an electronics retailer and was at the forefront of modern communication technology in the 1920s and 1930s.

He was for a time the owner and proprietor of the private Dunedin radio station 4ZM, which was taken over by the government and closed down in the late 1930s.

Political career

He served from 1938 as a Dunedin City Councillor and member of both the Otago Hospital Board and Otago Harbour Board. Walls was chairman of the council's Water Committee for many years. At the 1944 elections he "topped the poll" for both the City Council and the Harbour Board, and was consequently offered the role of deputy mayor, but declined in accordance with Labour Party policy, which forbade his acceptance of the office. He had previously stood for local office unsuccessfully. Among both colleagues and constituents he was well regarded for his abilities, courtesy and kindness.

Death and legacy Walls died in Dunedin on 6 November 1953, aged 69. He had been in bad health for some time. His grandson Richard was also MP for Dunedin North, from 1975 to 1978 (as a National Party member) and was later mayor of Dunedin from 1989 to 1995.