Born in Saint Helier, Jersey on 28 January 1855,[REF] Bate was employed as a "lad clerk" in the accountants department of the Great Western Railway at Paddington Station, London from 1872 to 1874 [REF].
Outside of business, Bate served as secretary of the Wellington Rugby Football Union and the Wellington Cricket Association and as a member of the New Zealand Rugby Union [REF].