PROSSER, EVAN, was born in Wales, educated there and trained as a pharmaceutical chemist. In 1863 he was residing at Queenstown, and a few years later he followed the gold discoveries to Westland, where he was in business as a chemist and druggist in Hokitika. He was mayor of Hokitika in 1868, represented the West Coast Goldfields in the Canterbury Provincial Council (1865-66) and was later a member of the first Westland county council. He was one of a party of seven who bought a large water race on the goldfields. Returning to Dunedin, he entered into business there and became one of the founders of the firm of Kempthorne, Prosser and Co., of which he was a director on its incorporation (1879). In 1873 he was elected to the City Council. He also stood twice for the Provincial Council in that year without success, being defeated in the first case by Fish by 612 votes to 534 (Apr 1873). In 1882 Prosser purchased the wholesale drug business of Edward Rowan and Co. in Sydney, and in 1886 resigned from Kempthorne, Prosser and Co.

Canterbury P.C. Proc.; Cycl. NZ iv and v; Harrop; Otago Daily Times, 27 Jan 1882.

Reference: Volume 2, page 95

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