Thomas Ashby (mayor)

Thomas William Mark Ashby OBE (23 August 1895 – 26 September 1957) was a New Zealand local body administrator and Mayor of Auckland City from 1956 to 1957.

Thomas Ashby OBE
30th Mayor of Auckland City
In office 1956–1957
Deputy	Keith Buttle
Preceded by	John Luxford
Succeeded by	Keith Buttle
Personal details
Born	23 August 1895 Auckland, New Zealand
Died	26 September 1957 Auckland, New Zealand

Biography

Born 23 August 1895 in Auckland, Ashby was educated at Te Aroha High School, and at both Victoria and Auckland Universities. He was a solicitor, and served in the Army in the First World War.

He was Auckland's Town Clerk (providing administration and advice to Auckland City Council) between 1944 and 1955 and was also secretary of the committee for the 1950 British Empire Games held at Auckland. In the 1951 King's Birthday Honours, Ashby was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for municipal services.[1]

Having retired as Town Clerk in 1955, he was elected to the city council, and in November 1956 successfully challenged the sitting mayor John Luxford, for the role. Luxford had claimed wasteful expenditure inside the council in his 1953 campaign, but (though initiating a number of reforms) had not been successful in chairing the council. Ashby died suddenly on 23 September 1957, near the end of his first year in office, aged 62 years,[2] and was replaced by Keith Buttle in a by-election in November 1957.[3]

References

1. "No. 39245". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 June 1951. p. 3100.
2. Who’s Who in New Zealand, 7th edition 1961 p304
3. "Declaration of Result of Poll on Election of Mayor". The New Zealand Herald. 7 November 1957. p. 6.

• Who’s Who in New Zealand, 6th edition 1956, edited by Frank A Simpson (1956, Reed, Wellington)

Political offices
Preceded by John Luxford	Mayor of Auckland City 1956–1957	Succeeded by Keith Buttle