Sir Ross Malcolm Jansen (6 September 1932 – 15 December 2010) was a New Zealand local-body politician. He served as mayor of Hamilton from 1977 to 1989. He was an expert in local government, held a variety of positions, was academically acknowledged, and received a number of honours.

Biography

Jansen was born on 6 September 1932 in Carterton, the son of Frank Egbert Jansen and Pearl Elizabeth Jansen, and was educated at Featherston District High School, Marton District High School, and Horowhenua College. He then studied at Victoria University College, from where he graduated with a LLB in 1957. He became a barrister and solicitor. In 1957, Jansen married Beatrice Rhyl Robinson, and the couple went on to have six children. Jansen was a Hamilton City Councillor from 1965 to 1974 and deputy mayor from 1971 to 1974. In the , he stood in the new electorate for the National Party, but was defeated by Labour's Rufus Rogers. At a 1976 by-election he stood for Mayor of Hamilton but was unsuccessful, losing to Social Credit leader

Bruce Beetham Bruce Craig Beetham (16 February 1936 – 3 May 1997) was an academic and politician from New Zealand, whose career spanned the 1970s and early 1980s. A lecturer at Hamilton's University of Waikato and at the Hamilton Teachers' Training Colle ...

. At the next election he stood again (Beetham did not stand for another term) and was elected mayor of Hamilton in 1977, holding office until he was defeated in 1989. Jansen served as deputy chairman of the Waikato United Council from 1980 to 1986 and chairman from 1986 to 1989. In 1984 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the

University of Waikato The University of Waikato (), established in 1964, is a Public university, public research university located in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand. An additional campus is located in Tauranga. The university performs research in nume ...

. He subsequently completed a

DPhil A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

in 1993 at the same institution about New Zealand local government reform in the 1980s. Jansen was president of the Municipal Association of New Zealand from 1984 to 1987, and was the first president of the New Zealand Local Government Association. He was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, for services to the city of Hamilton and local government, in the 1986 New Year Honours, and promoted to

Knight Commander Knight Commander (or Dame Commander) is the second most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are dormant (and one of them continues as a German house order). The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the rec ...

of the same order in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours. In 1990 he was awarded life membership of the New Zealand Local Government Association, and received the

New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal was a commemorative medal awarded in New Zealand in 1990 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, and was awarded to 3,632 people. Background The New Zealand 1990 Com ...

. From 1990 to 1993 he was chairperson of the

Waikato Regional Council The Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipā District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City, as well as ...

. He was appointed chairman of the Local Government Commission from 1998 to 2001. Jansen died at his home in

Orewa Orewa () is a settlement in the northern Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is a suburb of the Hibiscus Coast, just north of the base of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula and north of central Auckland. The Auckland Northern Motorway, Northern Motor ...

, north of Auckland, on 15 December 2010.

References

External links

*
1978 photo at Whitiora Bridge opening
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jansen, Ross Malcolm 1932 births 2010 deaths Mayors of Hamilton, New Zealand People from Carterton, New Zealand University of Waikato alumni New Zealand Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Victoria University of Wellington alumni Unsuccessful candidates in the 1972 New Zealand general election People educated at Horowhenua College People educated at Rangitikei College New Zealand justices of the peace