Sir Alexander Ross (2 September 1907 – 10 April 1994) was a New Zealand-born banker and

rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is di ...

who competed at the

1930 British Empire Games The 1930 British Empire Games were the inaugural edition of what now is known as the Commonwealth Games, and were held in Hamilton, Ontario, from 16 to 23 August 1930. The games were organized by ''Hamilton Spectator'' sportswriter Bobby Robinso ...

. He was a rowing selector for New Zealand's Olympic and Commonwealth teams, New Zealand team manager for the Vancouver Commonwealth Games and chairman of the

Commonwealth Games Federation The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), currently known as Commonwealth Sport, is the international organisation responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games, and is governing body of the ...

from 1968 to 1982.R C Wheeler-Bennett, Obituary: Sir Alexander Ross, ''The Independent'', London, Wednesday, 20 April 1994

Rowing

In 1930 he was a member of the men's

Coxless four A coxless four is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars, without a coxswain. The crew consists of four rowers, each having one oar. There are two rowers on th ...

s team that won the bronze medal at the British Empire Games in Hamilton Ontario.

Banking career

His banking career began with The National Bank of New Zealand. He transferred with his colleagues to the

Reserve Bank of New Zealand The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ, mi, Te Pūtea Matua) is the central bank of New Zealand. It was established in 1934 and is constituted under the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989. The governor of the Reserve Bank is responsible for N ...

when it was formed in 1934. He had risen to deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank when he was invited by a visitor to New Zealand, John Gibson Jarvie, to join Jarvie's banking group in London,

United Dominions Trust Black Horse Limited is a motor finance company based in the United Kingdom. It was formed in July 2001, as a wholly owned subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group, but its origins can be traced back to 1922. The business should not to be confused wit ...

Limited where Ross rose to be appointed chairman in 1963. Ross was also a director, and later, chairman from 1970 to 1975 of

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) is an Australian multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria. It is Australia's second-largest bank by assets and fourth-largest bank by ma ...

then headquartered in London. Other posts included deputy chairman of

Eagle Star Insurance The Eagle Star Insurance Company plc (formerly Eagle Star Insurance Company Limited) was a leading British insurance business. It underwrote the full range of risks including liability, fire, accident, marine, motor, life, contingency and Pluvius ...

and director of Whitbread Investment Trust. Ross served as chairman of the East European Trade Council, and in the

1971 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1971 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to the ''Lond ...

, he was appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

, for services to export.

Family

Sir Alexander Ross, eldest son of William Alexander Ross and Kathleen née Marks, was born at

Herekino Herekino is a locality in Northland, New Zealand. It lies 26 km south west of Kaitaia. The Herekino Harbour, also called the Herekino River, is an estuary and inlet from the Tasman Sea to the west. The Herekino Forest, which contains a stand ...

North Auckland The Northland Peninsula, called the North Auckland Peninsula in earlier times, is in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. It is joined to the rest of the island by the Auckland isthmus, a narrow piece of land between the Waitematā ...

, 2 September 1907.Te Ara
accessed 7 February 2019 He married twice, first Nora Burgess who died in 1974 and they had 2 sons and 2 daughters. In 1975 he married Cynthia Barton. He died in retirement in his 87th year at Tweed Heads West in New South Wales, 10 April 1994.

References

1907 births 1994 deaths New Zealand male rowers Rowers at the 1930 British Empire Games Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for New Zealand Commonwealth Games medallists in rowing New Zealand Knights Bachelor New Zealand bankers Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Medallists at the 1930 British Empire Games {{NewZealand-rowing-bio-stub