| Frederick Robert Flatman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1843 Suffolk, England |
| Died | 21 September 1911 Woodbury near Geraldine |
| Occupation | Member of Parliament |
Frederick Robert Flatman (1843 – 21 September 1911) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament of the Liberal Party for the Pareora and Geraldine electorates. Born in Suffolk, he came out of the colony on the Mary Ann in 1862.[1]
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| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 1893–1896 | 12th | Pareora | Liberal | |
| 1896–1899 | 13th | Geraldine | Liberal | |
| 1899–1902 | 14th | Geraldine | Liberal | |
| 1902–1905 | 15th | Geraldine | Liberal | |
| 1905–1908 | 16th | Geraldine | Liberal | |
Frederick Flatman represented the Pareora and Geraldine electorates for fifteen years (1893–1908) in the New Zealand House of Representatives.[2] He defeated Arthur Rhodes for the Pareora electorate in 1893 by 1594 to 1377 votes.[3] In 1908 he was defeated by Thomas Buxton (who was also of the Liberal Party) for the Ashburton electorate.
The Lyttelton Times described Frederick Flatman as a member "not of the ornamental type, but plain, blunt, possessing strong convictions, straightforward manners and simple directness of speech. He also acquired in 3 years a surprising grasp and mastery of political questions. He was certainly the best of the South Island farmer members-perhaps the best in New Zealand. He was a fine man" (Lyttelton Times, 22 September 1911).
Flatman was a successful businessman in South Canterbury. He was a storekeeper and sawmiller.(Hamer, p. 362) He died on 21 September 1911 at Woodbury near Geraldine.[4]