Obituary Mr O. H. Jackson

Press, 24 May 1985, Page 2

Obituary Mr O. H. Jackson

Mr Oswald Henry (Ossie) Jackson, a former Mayor of Greymouth for 12 years, died yesterday while attending a funeral in Oamaru. He was 68.

Apart from his leading role as mayor, Mr Jackson was prominent in many facets of life on the West Coast, and was widely known outside the Coast. He was born a fourthgeneration Coaster (as is his wife, Mrs Thelma Jackson), and attended Grey District High School. He started his working life as an apprentice plumber, later to become a florist and nurseryman, printer on the “Grey River Argus” and “Buller-West-land Leader” newspapers, and a tax inspector. Mr Jackson was Deputy Mayor of Greymouth from 1959 to 1962, and 1965 to 1968. He served four terms

as Mayor, from 1963 to 1980.

He was a member of a number of other local body organisations. Other than local body pol-

itics, he was keenly interested in art, horticulture, dog breeding, and cage bird breeding. He had a deep interest in the history of the West Coast, and wrote much about it.

He was chairman of the West Coast committee of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust for 10 years. He was also a part-time radio broadcaster, and parttime lecturer in horticulture at the University of Canterbury. The Mayor of Greymouth, Dr Barry Dallas, yesterday praised the services of Mr Jackson to the borough, saying that he was a most sincere person who researched his duties. Mr Jackson had been a “great favourite” of older citizens, and was diligent in attending meetings of all groups that sought his attention.

Dr Dallas said that they had had a unique association, and Mr Jackson had had a remarkable career in diversity and depth.

When Dr Dallas was Mayor from 1965 to 1968, the Deputy Mayor at the time, Mr Ray Trainor, had resigned the post to become borough engineer. His father-in-law, Mr Jackson, the next highest-polling councillor, became Deputy Mayor. At the end of 1968, Dr Dallas stood down from the mayoralty and Mr Jackson was elected, Dr Dallas topping the council poll. When Mr Jackson had completed four terms as Mayor and retired in 1980, Dr Dallas returned to the mayoralty.