Robert Gillies, third son of the late John Gillies, was born at Rothesay, Isle of Bute, on July 31, 1836. After passing with credit through the school of his native town, he entered the University of Glasgow in 1851 with a view to qualify for one of the learned professions; but on his father resolving to emigrate to Otago he gave up his college studies and spent the earlier part of 1852 in learning farming. He arrived at Dunedin with his father and family in October 1852, being then in his seventeenth year. For some time he worked on the family farm of Riversdale, Tokomairiro, and about the year 1857 obtained an appointment under the late Mr J. T. Thomson, in the Provincial Survey Department. He left the Provincial Government service in 1860, and in the following year joined the late Mr C. H. Street in establishing the firm long and well known as "Gillies and Street, land and estate agents," &c. The highly favourable times, the ability and intelligence of the two partners, and their high character for probity, soon secured for them a prosperous business. In 1876 Mr Walter Hislop, who had been in their employment from the outset, was admitted a member of the firm, which was then known as that of "Gillies, Street, and Hislop." On Mr Street's retirement in 1878 the business was carried on by the two remaining partners until 1884, when the firm amalgamated with that of Connell and Moodie, and both were incorporated under the designation of "The Perpetual Trustees, Estate, and Agency Company of New Zealand," now under the management of Mr Walter Hislop.
While attending assiduously to his own business, Mr Gillies took an active part in the promotion of enterprises having for their object the public good and the development of the resources of the colony, with the result that he became one of the leading business men of Dunedin. He was mainly instrumental in forming the Dunedin Waterworks Company, of which he was a director; and he took an active part in the formation of the Mosgiel Woollen Factory Company, of which he was a director until his death. He was the founder and liberal supporter of the Patients' and Prisoners' Aid Society, and rendered generous aid to other public organisations. A friend who was intimately acquainted with Mr Gillies's affairs has stated that very few had any conception of his numerous private benefactions, in regard to which he was ever anxious to act in accordance with the spirit of the Master's injunction, "Let not thy left hand know
