Harry Robson Lake (29 September 1911 – 21 February 1967) was a New Zealand politician who served as Minister of Finance for six years in the second National government in the 1960s. He died of a heart attack when only 55 years old.
Biography.
Early life and career.
Lake was born in Christchurch in 1911. Lake was father to two children, and grandfather to three. He attended Riccarton Primary School and Christchurch West District High School. He was further educated at the University of Canterbury, gaining a bachelor's degree in commerce. He was then employed for five years at the Vacuum Oil Company before joining a firm of public accountants, in which he later became a partner. He established an accountancy practice in 1943 and then a senior partner in the firm of Lake, Glynn and Smith. He also served a term as chairman of the Christchurch branch of the Society of Accountants.
In 1937 he married Beryl Bonnington with whom he had one son and one daughter. Lake was deemed medically unfit for active service in World War II. Instead he served within New Zealand as a duty officer in the Air Training Corps.
For several years he was an accountancy lecturer at the University of Canterbury. Lake was also a councillor of the Canterbury Manufacturers Association. He was also a member of the Christchurch Drainage Board and was chairman of its finance committee.