George Beetham, F.R.G.S.

Royal Geographical Society

The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...

, M.H.R. (1840 – 1915), of Wellington

Wellington

Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...

 and Wairarapa

Wairarapa

Wairarapa is a geographical region of New Zealand. It occupies the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service towns, with Masterton being the largest...

, made his first explorarion of Mount Ruapehu

Mount Ruapehu

Mount Ruapehu, or just Ruapehu, is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand. It is 23 kilometres northeast of Ohakune and 40 kilometres southwest of the southern shore of Lake Taupo, within Tongariro National Park...

 in March, 1878. In 1879, Mr. Beetham, accompanied by Mr. Joseph Prime Maxwell, Civil Engineer, of Wellington, made a complete ascent of Mount Ruapehu, and, reaching its summit, crossed the large southern glacier, and made a close examination of the hot lake that is in the great ice plateau, the existence of which had not been previously recorded.

He represented the Wairarapa

Wairarapa (New Zealand electorate)

Wairarapa is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate. It was first created in 1859 and existed until 1881. It was recreated in 1887 and has since existed continuously...

 electorate in Parliament

Parliament of New Zealand

The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...

, after winning the by-election for the seat in 1877, to 1881. He then represented the Wairarapa North

Wairarapa North

Wairarapa North was a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate, from 1881 to 1887.The Wairarapa North electorate in the Wairarapa district of New Zealand and the adjacent Wairarapa South electorate were formed in 1881 by splitting the old Wairarapa electorate.These electorates only existed for...

 electorate from 1881 to 1887, and the Masterton

Masterton (New Zealand electorate)

Masterton was a New Zealand electorate, focused on the town of Masterton and the surrounding area.-History:The electorate of Masterton was created at the 1887 elections. Its boundaries were roughly based on those of the Wairarapa North electorate that it replaced, although it was not an exact match...

electorate from 1887 to 1890, when he was defeated.