His first concern as mayor was to obtain industrial land and the then Prime Minister of New Zealand Keith Holyoake proved most helpful, becoming one of Brown's closest friends.

The new borough negotiated with the government to free land where the Todd Motors car assembly plant was built in 1975, and Broken Hill was also zoned industrial use.

In his 21 years as Mayor, Brown took humble pride in heading a multicultural city and did his utmost to promote racial harmony.

Ahead of the 1969 election he put himself forward for the Labour Party nomination to stand in the newly created Porirua electorate, but lost to Gerry Wall.

[3] In 1970, he was the recipient of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Award and spent three and a half months studying pollution problems overseas.

In the 1972 Queen's Birthday Honours, Brown was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services as mayor of Porirua.