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Revision as of 12:18, 24 May 2008
Sir Francis Henry (Frank) Renouf, (31 July 1918 - 13 September 1998) was a prominent New Zealand tycoon and financier. His obituary in the Dominion was headed: "Flamboyant Renouf shook starch out of financial world".
He was born in Wellington and educated at Wellington College and Victoria University College. He then joined the 2nd NZEF as a Captain, was captured in Greece, and spent most of the war in a German POW camp. He then studied for a Diploma at Worcester College, Oxford and was an Oxford Blue in tennis fron 1948 to 1949.
He was a businessman and a stockbroker from 1950, as a partner in the Wellington stockbroking firm of "Daysh, Renouf" with Harry Edgar Duff Daysh, known as Duff. The firm was originally Daysh, Longuet and Frethey, with Geoff Longuet and Edmund Albertus (Bert) Frethey. Renouf was blackballed from joining the Wellesley Club because of the circumstances of him joining Daysh and Frethey, as business then had a "gentleman's club" atmosphere (Jesson pages 102-103)
In the 1980's and 1990's he became a prominent business celebrity in Australia and New Zealand. He introduced unit trusts to New Zealand, and New Zealand's first merchant bank. He set up three companies in 1981, Frank Renouf & Co, Renouf Corporation and Renouf Property. In the 1987 sharemarket crash he lost 90% of his fortune.
He was married three times. He was knighted in 1987. He was President of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association 1985-86. The Renouf Tennis Centre in Wellington is named after him. He died in 1998 in Wellington.
His second wife (1985) was Susan Renouf (formerly Susan Peacock and Susan Sangster), a thrice-married socialite; she called him "Frank the Bank" after her divorce.
His third wife (1991) was Michele Renouf, to whom he was briefly married.
References
- Obituary in Dominion (Wellington) of 14 September 1998 (pages 1,11).
- Sir Francis Renouf: an autobiography (1997, Steele Roberts, Wellington) ISBN 0958371202
- Behind the Mirror Glass by Bruce Jesson (1987, Penguin)