Geoffrey Warren Holland was born on 26 May 1925, the second son of Sir Sidney George Holland GCMG CH and his wife Florence Beatrice née Drayton. His father was instrumental in the creation and consolidation of the New Zealand National Party and was the 25th Prime Minister of New Zealand, a post he held for three terms from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957. His brother, Eric Sidney Fostyn Holland, became a member of parliament and served in the cabinet of Robert Muldoon. After qualifying in medicine from Otago University in 1948, Geoffrey came to the UK and stayed in North London. For a while he was a surgical registrar at the Oldchurch Hospital in Romford. He passed the fellowship of the college in 1952 and returned to New Zealand, becoming a consultant general surgeon in Christchurch. His wife was Monica née Stevens. He died on 16 December 1996 aged 71.