Reader Wood

An architect by trade, he designed the 1854 General Assembly House built as New Zealand's first meeting house for the House of Representatives.

Reader Wood
Wood in his later years
7th Colonial Treasurer
In office 12 July 1861 – 6 August 1862
Prime Minister	William Fox
In office 21 August 1862 – 24 November 1864
Prime Minister	Alfred Domett Frederick Whitaker
1st Minister for Colonial Defence
In office 22 July 1862 – 30 October 1863
Prime Minister	Alfred Domett
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Parnell
In office 1861–1865
In office 1870–1878
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Waitemata
In office 1879–1881
Personal details
Born	Reader Gillson Wood 1821 Highfields, Leicester, England
Died	20 August 1895(1895-08-20) (aged 73–74) Parnell, New Zealand
Resting place	St Stephen's Cemetery, Parnell
Spouse	Mary Jane Holland
Children	One son
Occupation	Architect, land surveyor, politician

Wood, the son of Thomas and Sarah Wood, was baptised at the Church of St Mary de Castro, Leicester, Leicestershire, England, on 5 January 1821. He was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, London. He was brought up as an architect, and shortly after his articles had expired left England for New Zealand, arriving in Auckland in 1844.

The Battle of Kororāreka happened in the Bay of Islands in March 1845 and there were fears that the fighting would spread to Auckland, which at the time was the capital of New Zealand. Wood was made lieutenant of Volunteer Artillery, and was present at the attempted storming of Hōne Heke's pā at Ohaeawai on 1 July 1845. He was mentioned in Colonel Henry Despard's despatch describing that affair. After the war Wood returned to Auckland, where he practised his profession of architect and surveyor. About 1848 he was employed by the Government as Inspector of Roads, afterwards he was appointed Deputy Surveyor-General, which office he retained until 1856. He was tasked with the design of the General Assembly House, which was built in 1854 in Auckland as New Zealand's first meeting house for the House of Representatives.

Wood was elected to the Auckland Provincial Council in the Suburbs of Auckland electorate on 7 October 1857. He served for the duration of the third council until the end of the term on 12 September 1861.

Wood was the Member of Parliament for Parnell from January 1861 to 1865 (resigned), then 1870 to 1878 (resigned); then for Waitemata from 1879 to 1881, when he retired. He also had a second term on the provincial council, where he represented the Parnell electorate on the seventh council from 29 November 1873 until the abolition of the provincial government system on 31 October 1876. From May to October 1875, he was part of the Auckland Executive Council (equivalent to a cabinet).

In the House of Representatives, he was a cabinet minister, including the positions of Minister of Finance (then called Colonial Treasurer) twice, and Minister of Defence (then called Minister of Colonial Defence). He was part of the Auckland wing of the Liberal Party, sometimes called the "Auckland Rats".

He stood in the 1887 election in the Waitemata electorate and was defeated by Richard Monk.

On 20 May 1850, he married Mary Jane Holland at St Paul's Church, Auckland's oldest Anglican church. He died at his home in Parnell, Auckland, on 20 August 1895, leaving his widow and one son, and was buried at St Stephen's Cemetery, Parnell. He was survived by one son and his wife, who died in 1898 and is buried in the same grave.