Ross Borough

The area was first occupied by white settlers in 1865 after the discovery of gold in the Tōtara River and in Jones Creek.

With the abolition of the provincial government system, the area came under the control of Westland County; equal in name to the organisation from 1873 but with the functions of a county council as opposed to provincial government.

[2] The meeting also passed a unanimous decision to petition the governor—George Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby—to declare Ross a municipality and the required number of signatures was collected.

[3] On 31 December 1877, John Benjamin Lopas (acting on behalf of the committee) received a telegram from the government that the borough had been approved and that he had been appointed returning officer and clerk.

[4] Three candidates stood for election as mayor of Ross, and Camille Malfroy beat Joseph Grimmond with 79 votes to 75, with William Lockington coming a distant third.