Background
Roberts was born in October 1845 in Selkirk, Scotland. He was the son of George Roberts, who was for many years provost of that town. On leaving school in 1862 Roberts entered the woollen mill of his father"s firm, Messrs.
Roberts was born in October 1845 in Selkirk, Scotland. He was the son of George Roberts, who was for many years provost of that town. On leaving school in 1862 Roberts entered the woollen mill of his father"s firm, Messrs.
Roberts junior was educated at Cheltenham Grammar School, the Edinburgh Academy and at the Queen Street Institution in that city.
George Roberts and Company, of Selkirk. Two years later Roberts arrived in Melbourne, where he was employed in station management and business in the firm of John Sanderson and Company
In 1868 Roberts went to New Zealand, and was President of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce in 1887 and of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition held at Dunedin in 1889–1890, in which latter year he was Mayor of Dunedin. Roberts was an original director, and for many years was chairman, of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, Limited.
And for two years he was a director of the Colonial Bank, from which he retired in 1891.
He took a keen interest in agricultural and pastoral matters, and was a leading promoter of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association of which he was a life governor. Roberts has served on the boards of management of many local public institutions, notably the Otago University committee, and as chairman of its finance committee.
From June 1873 until its abolition in October 1876, Roberts represented Kaikorai in the Otago Provincial Council. He was a member for Deep Stream riding in the Taieri County Council.
His work in connection with the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition, as president, he succeeded, by ability and untiring zeal, in bringing the exhibition to a successful issue, and for his services in that respect, Her Majesty the Queen conferred upon him the Companionship of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, in 1891.
Roberts was deputy chairman of the board of directors of the Union Steamship Company until 1914 when he retired. He was knighted in 1920 and died in Dunedin on 13 September 1934.