Robert Forsyth Barr - QSM

1 Nov

Robert Forsyth Barr, or Peter Barr as he was better known, was the son of the founder of New Zealand accountancy, Peter Barr. But his education at Otago Boys' High School and the University of Otago, studying accountancy at the latter while working at his father's firm, came second to his love of sport.

He failed his final examination and went on tour to Europe. On returning in 1935 he shocked his family by announcing plans to become a sharebroker. The following year Forsyth Barr was born. Today the firm is a national broking house, reflecting Barr's entrepreneurial vision.

Barr served as Dunedin city councillor from 1944 to 1956 and a director of several public companies.