ROSS, ARCHIBALD HILSON (1821-1900) was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne, educated there and went into business. He lived for some years at Sunderland, where he was a member of the town council and a guardian of the poor. In 1859 he emigrated to Otago, was for a time chief draughtsman in the survey office and then entered into business as an optician. He was chairman of the Wakari school committee and road board, a member of the first Roslyn borough council, and mayor in 1879. At the same time he had been a member of the Dunedin City Council and he was elected mayor in 1880. He was a member also of the benevolent trustees and the harbour board (of which he was chairman for five years). Ross twice contested the Roslyn parliamentary seat against Driver. In 1887 he was elected (defeating Carlton and Hutchison). Being defeated by Dawson at the election of 1890, he did not seek re-election. Ross was an enthusiastic astronomer and was actively interested in observing the transits of Venus in 1874 and 1882. He contributed several papers to the proceedings of the Otago Institute, of which he was a member. On retiring from business he resided in Hawke's Bay, where he died on 9 Dec 1900.

N.Z.P.D., 1887-90; Otago Daily Times, 21 Dec 1900.

Reference: Volume 2, page 132

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