▁Leon ora ▁Emma ▁W ick ham . ▁His ▁grand father ▁was ▁Henry ▁Lewis ▁W ick ham , ▁a ▁Rece iver ▁General ▁of ▁Gib ral tar . ▁The ▁English ▁MP ▁William ▁W ick ham ▁was ▁his ▁uncle . ▁From ▁a ▁wealth y ▁middle - class ▁family , ▁he ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁E ton ▁College ▁and ▁Tr inity ▁College , ▁Cambridge , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁natural ▁sciences . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 2 ▁he ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁New ▁Zealand ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁far mer ▁near ▁Te ▁A ro ha , ▁with ▁a ▁passion ▁for ▁racing ▁and ▁bre eding ▁horses . ▁On ▁ 4 ▁December ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁he ▁married ▁his ▁neighbour ▁Catherine ▁Louis a ▁Ro che ; ▁they ▁remained ▁without ▁children . ▁ ▁Her ries ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁for ▁the ▁Bay ▁of ▁Pl enty ▁elect or ate ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁holding ▁the ▁seat ▁until ▁ 1 9 0 8 , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁for ▁T aur anga , ▁which ▁he ▁held ▁until ▁his ▁death . ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Reform ▁Party , ▁which ▁formed ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁Her ries ▁travel led ▁to ▁England ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 ; ▁they ▁left ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁March ▁on ▁the ▁Icon ic . ▁The ▁journey ▁was ▁a ▁dis aster , ▁though . ▁Just ▁before ▁they ▁left , ▁his ▁mother ▁died ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand . ▁His ▁wife , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁ind