Norman Harold Moss (1896–1974) was

Mayor of Stratford, New Zealand The Mayor of Stratford is the head of municipal government of Stratford, New Zealand, Stratford District, New Zealand. The mayor is elected directly using the first-past-the-post electoral system. The current mayor is Neil Volzke.Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

in 1896 and educated at

Wellington College Wellington College may refer to: *Wellington College, Berkshire, an independent school in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England ** Wellington College International Shanghai ** Wellington College International Tianjin * Wellington College, Wellington, Ne ...

. After leaving college he was the first New Zealander to be employed in the

Commercial Bank of Australia The Commercial Bank of Australia Limited (CBA) was an Australian and New Zealand retail bank which operated from 1866 until being amalgamated with the Bank of New South Wales, that was established in 1817, to form the Westpac Banking Corporati ...

when it opened in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...

in 1912.Obituary (Taranaki Herald, 1 February 1974) At 20 he resigned to join the Medical Corps and served in England and France during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Having started to study for the law before the war, he decided to resume this profession on his returnPersonal Profile, The Taranaki Herald 18 September 1954 and he qualified in law in 1923, practising in Hawera and

Eltham Eltham ( ) is a district of southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is east-southeast of Charing Cross, and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. The three wards of E ...

before moving to Stratford.David E. Walter: Stratford: Shakespearean Town Under The Mountain. Stratford District Council 2005. He married Rita Kathleen ( née Grubb) in 1926.

Community involvement

He made his first venture into local body life when he was elected to the Taranaki Electric Power Board in 1929, serving on the board for twelve years, the last three as chairman.The Taranaki Herald Article, 9 April 1957 He was also a member of the Stratford Hospital Board, President of the Stratford Racing Club for six years and a foundation member of the Rotary Club of Stratford. During World War II, he became Chief Controller of the Emergency Precautions Scheme in Central Taranaki. He was president of the Municipal Association of New Zealand from 1951–1957.

Professional life

In his profession he enjoyed the common law side in which he specialised. Living in a farming district it was natural that much of his practice was associated with the primary industry and some of his legal battles in this line were fought against New Zealand's leading counsel. The best known is what came to be called 'the dip and drip case' concerning the accurate testing of milk for butterfat content. He served as President of the Taranaki District Law Society and also as a member of the

New Zealand Law Society The New Zealand Law Society ( mi, Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa) is the parent body for barristers and solicitors in New Zealand. It was established in 1869, and regulates all lawyers practising in New Zealand. Membership of the society is voluntary, ...

. He was the honorary solicitor to the

Plunket Society The Royal New Zealand Plunket Trust provides a range of free services aimed at improving the development, health and wellbeing of children under the age of five within New Zealand, where it is commonly known simply as Plunket. Its mission is "t ...

Advisory Board in Stratford for over thirty years.Obituary (The Stratford Press, 7 February 1974)

Mayoralty

During his time as mayor he was heavily involved in planning for the overdue upgrade of the town's facilities and infrastructure. N H Moss was a member of the first National Roads Board and took a prominent role in the merger of the Whangamomona County Council and Stratford County Council in 1955. A highlight during his term as mayor was accompanying

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

and her consort the Duke of Edinburgh along their walkabout in Stratford during the Royal Visit in January 1954. Enthusiasm for the young monarch was high and her walkabout along the main street (Broadway) flanked by people was said to be the first of its kind in New Zealand. He was appointed to the local Government Commission in April 1957,due to having special knowledge of urban local government. He resigned from mayoral duties at that time.

Quotes

Upon his announcement of retirement from mayoral duties, all members of the council spoke and paid tribute to Mr and Mrs Moss. One came from Councillor Peterson, referring in particular to the dignified manner in which the Mayor and Mayoress had carried out their duties on the occasion of the visit to Stratford of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 11 and His Royal Highness, The Duke Of Edinburgh.Stratford Borough Council Meeting Minutes,Pg 3, 15 April 1057 When a local reporter questioned how he was able to fit in the vast array of community and professional commitments Norman Harold replied, "I suppose a man develops the capacity to get to the point fairly quickly and I'm lucky to be blessed with a good memory. If I read anything, I've got it."

Later life

He was awarded the OBE for his services in 1954 and retired to Oakura, New Plymouth where he died in 1974. His wife Rita and one son Winston predeceased him and he was survived by his son John Barrie (d.2007) and granddaughter Jennifer Moss.

References

External links

NZ History OnlineNorman Harold Moss record
at Online Cenotaph {{DEFAULTSORT:Moss, Norman Harold 1896 births 1974 deaths People educated at Wellington College (New Zealand) New Zealand military personnel of World War I New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire Mayors of Stratford, New Zealand Burials at Kopuatama Cemetery 20th-century New Zealand politicians