Painter & Decorator

At his death in 1910, Robert was the owner of an extensive painting and paper hanging business that had been in operation in Wellington for nearly fifty years.

Robert was born in London in 1838, the son of a solicitor. He was educated at North Walsham Grammar School in Norfolk and St John’s College, Sussex.

In 1859, he decided to try his fortune in New Zealand and arrived on the ‘Queen of Avon’ with some experience working as a merchant. He began his time in Wellington learning the decorating business. His first contract was the painting of the S.S. Wonga Wonga hauled up on the first patent slip in Wellington. He would later win the contract for painting the old Government House and hang all the wall paper in the new Government House (which comprised 500 pieces). After four years working, he opened his own painting and decorating business from a store on Cuba Street.

In 1900 the Visiting Committee of the Wellington Industrial Association visited his factory and store which had expanded to a location fronting Manners Steet. A detailed description was provided in the Evening Post:

‘The entrance to the factory and store is by way of a passage from Manners-street, which is most tastefully adorned with pot plants, creepers, and flowering shrubs ….. Upstairs are the designers’ rooms and the rooms for the workers in lead, glass, cutting, staining and fitting. After a brief look at the glass and the kiln, we went upstairs and found the designer at work on a design for embossed windows for the new Bank of New Zealand building ….. Before leaving, we were shown books of designs for all kinds and conditions of windows, panels, doors, fanlights, screens etc that have been made on the premises …’

Charles Edward Carter was Robert’s designer and he married Robert’s daughter Zoe in 1890.

Robert’s shop was described in a subsequent article:

‘It possesses three expansive plate glass windows for the display of paper hanging, artists’ materials, picture mouldings, oils and colours and lead-light work. The interior is lighted with electricity’

With respect to Robert’s wallpaper selection, the newspaper provided this description:

‘An inspection of the stock provides quite a feast for the eye. There is a fine lot of green papers – nature’s background – besides pale blue and bronze-green tints for drawing-rooms, tints like satin, rich reds or quiet whites and old historical designs of the most elaborate character’.

Robert married Mary Ann Gooding in 1860 and together they had eleven children of which seven survived to adulthood. He died at his home 19 Kent Terrace on 27th December 1910 and was buried in Bolton Street Cemetery. Mary Ann died in 1922, aged 80, and was buried with Robert.

References:

Auckland Exhibition. (1899, February 6). New Zealand Times, p5.

Asbestos Paint. (1884, May 17). Evening Post, p3.

Deaths. (1922, January 7). Evening Post, p1.

Harbour Board. (1900, January 25). p6.

Personal Items. (1910, December 29). Dominion, p4.

Robert Martin. (1900, December 29). New Zealand Times, P4.

Wellington Industries. (1900, May 28). Evening Post, p2.