William John Dyer

Dyer was a candidate in the 1859 Town of Dunedin by-election against James Macandrew and James Gordon Stuart Grant. However, he did not participate in the poll that occurred after Grant challenged Macandrew.^[2] He contested the 1860 election in the Town of Dunedin electorate, losing to Thomas Dick and Edward McGlashan.^[3] He was one of four candidates in the 1871 election in the Bruce electorate and came second, beaten by William Murray.^[13] Dyer also was a candidate in the April 1865 Bruce by-election, getting defeated by Arthur John Burns.^[14][15][16] He was also discussed as a candidate in the July 1865 Bruce by-election, but eventually decided not to stand.^[17][18]

Dyer was several times Mayor of Milton and a member of the Otago Provincial Council.^[1][19] He stood in the Waihola electorate for the Otago Provincial Council in May 1863^[19] and was defeated by Alexander Mollison by a single vote.^[20] When John Lillie Gillies resigned from the Tokomairaro electorate (i.e. the area around Milton) of the Otago Provincial Council, Dyer contested the election against Thomas Murray and was successful.^[21][22] He represented the Tokomairaro electorate from 3 September 1864 to 28 July 1866,^[19] when he resigned.^[23]

Dyer moved to Dunedin in his later life and lived in Cumberland Street (now part of State Highway 1). On 12 July 1909, he died suddenly during a stay at his son in law's Queen's Hotel in Oamaru.^[24] He was buried at Oamaru Cemetery.^[24]