Fred Waite was a Reform Party

New Zealand Reform Party

The Reform Party, formally the New Zealand Political Reform League, was New Zealand's second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party...

 Member of Parliament in New Zealand, and was later appointed to the Legislative Council

New Zealand Legislative Council

The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed.-Role:...

.

He served in the New Zealand Army

New Zealand Army

The New Zealand Army , is the land component of the New Zealand Defence Force and comprises around 4,500 Regular Force personnel, 2,000 Territorial Force personnel and 500 civilians. Formerly the New Zealand Military Forces, the current name was adopted around 1946...

 in World War I, and wrote the semi-official history The New Zealanders at Gallipoli.

He was elected to the Clutha

Clutha (New Zealand electorate)

Clutha was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, from 1866 to 1996.-Population centres:This electorate is in the rural part of Southland.-History:The electorate was established in 1866...

 electorate in the 1925 general election

New Zealand general election, 1925

The New Zealand general election of 1925 was held 4 November to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 22nd session of the New Zealand Parliament...

, but was defeated in 1931

New Zealand general election, 1931

The 1931 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 24th term. It resulted in the newly formed coalition between the United Party and the Reform Party remaining in office as the Liberal-Reform Government, although the opposition Labour...

.

He was born in Mornington, Dunedin and died in Balclutha. He was awarded a C.M.G. in 1946.