Gus Mansford

[1] His father was Alfred Edward Nelson (died 1921) and his mother was Jessie Graham Mansford (née Cheesman, 1851–1898).

[5] Mansford first stood for the Palmerston North Borough Council at the April 1927 local election and was successful.

[12] Mansford first contested the Palmerston North mayoralty at the May 1931 local election and had a clear victory over the other candidate, Meldrum Alfred Eliott.

[14][15] At the 1938 local election, Mansford was challenged by a Labour Party candidate, Victor Alexander Christensen, for the mayoralty but regained his position with a substantial majority.

[16] At the 1941 local election, Mansford was challenged by Clarence Robert Murphy (Labour) and Blair Tennent (National) for the mayoralty but he was once again successful.

[22] Mansford was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1946 New Year Honours "for patriotic and social welfare services".