EX-MAYORS OF GREYMOUTH

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 February 1928, Page 15 (Supplement)

EX-MAYORS OF GREYMOUTH

tfie history of tfie Borough b’i.mahy Mayors have " jgumed IU .firrigfess. The first, Masters, was elected Wheri itie Borough was formed in » . Mr. Joseph Rigour was Mayor in whs engaged in business as an irbrifounder arid sawmiller. He died Ifi 1898. . .Mr. Edmund Wickes was Mayor in tire 1871-72. During his term of riffled tlfe great flood of 1872 devastated .the southern portion of Greymouth.

■■ -’Mr. George Glen was Mayor for a portion- of the year 1873. He was a produce merchant, and died about 1895. .

-.William Simpson Smith, a dtaiier,' was Mayor in 1874. He was a member of the firm of Thomson, Smith, and Barclay, and died in 1904. .Mr. George William Moss .was Mayor. in .1875 and 1876. He was a well-known auctioneer. , . Sir,. Francis Hamilton was Mayor jtTtiniig 1877', and 1878. He died in

;s[£, jßichard Nancarrow occupied the Matybriil chair*, in 1879-80-81 and in 1886, .and held office at-a somewhat mriAjeritOus period of the Borough’s hisjbfy, namely, at tjie time when Sir Jfdhn Goode designed the harbour works, which were estimated to cost £250,000,. Mr. James Barclay was Mayor during the year. 1882-83. He was the Barclay of Thomson, Smith, and Barclay, drapers. He died in 1890. Mr. Fritz Carl Dupre, a watchmaker, Wg.3: Mayor in 1884, and served on the Borough Council for 14 years.

; Mr.. John Griffiths Thomson, who was Mayor in 1885, was the third part-

ner in a well-known drapery firm to occupy the Mayoral chair. Mr. Joseph Petrie was Mayor in 1887 and 1888. He was a former member of the House of Representatives. Mr. John Mitchell, who was Mayor in 1889 and 1890; was well known on the West Coast as a coach proprietor. He subsequently settled in Western Australia. Mr. William Robert Kettle, who became Mayor in 1893, was elected to the Borough Council in 1891. Mr. Andrew Matheson was Mayor for .several years, and served for a number of years as a Councillor,, During his Mayoralty, the progressive policy of the Borough Council was inaugurated; the works projected in'chided water wol’ks, gas works, drainage, a Town Hall and library. While on a visit to Scotland, Mr. Matheson successfully interviewed Mr. Carnegie, who made a subscription of £2500 tri the Greymouth library, on condition that the library'should be free, and thrit a rate should be levied for its.' maintenance.

Mr. Felix Campbell was Mayor in 1895, He was well-known as a successful merchant.

Mr. Jacob Theodore Skoglurid, a commission agent, was Mayor in 1896-97-98. Born in Sweden, he carrie to New Zealand from Australia, in 18’65, and was for a considerable time a storekeeper at the gold.'diggings. .. Mr. Jesse Steer was Mayor during the .year 1903, and is. the present Chairman of the Harbour Board and Fire Board. *

Holdera of the Mayoral position during more recent years included the following:—l9o4-1906, James A. Petrie; 1907, Joseph Petrie; 1908-1909, T. E. Coates; 1910-1.911, A. C. Russell; 1912-1916, G. E. Perkins; 1917-1922, J.. D. Lynch; 1923-1926, W. H. Parfitt; 1927, J. W. Greenslade (present holder). Town Clerks —1868-1891, J. A. Whall; 1891-1893, F. W, Lahman; 1893-1911, E. I. Lord; 1911, J. K. Campbell; 1912, F. H. Denton (pre-

sent holder). Engineers—lB6B-1885, R. J. Johnston; 1885-1911, E. I. Lord; 1911-1912, S. B. Dodge; 1912-1924, W. J. O’Donnell; 1924-1926, E. M. Williams, 1926, A. J. Fairmaid (present holder).

The Greyinouth Railway Station, which wa : s erected in 1895, has done good service, and is one of the buildings considered by local bodies to have reached the demolition stage. The Grey-Brunner railway was constructed finder the Nelson and Westland Coalfields Act of 1877, as an outlet for the coal from the Briinne.r mines to the nearest port. The estimated Cost was £200,000. The GreyHOkitika railway: 24 miles in length, was, constructed, at a total cost of £195,660, arid was opened in 1894.

| The population attracted to the West Coast in 1864 numbered, at Christmas, approximately 830. In April, 1865, it went up to 7000, in September of the v sani'e year it reached 16,000, and by the end of 1866 it was estimated at 50,000. Srich is the power of the magnet—Gold.