Charles Norwood
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- For the American congressman see Charlie Norwood
Sir Charles Norwood (23 August 1871 – 26 November 1966), full name Charles John Boyd Norwood, was the twenty-third Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1925 to 1927. He was a local businessman, civic leader, and founder Chairman (1927 – 1966) of the Wellington Free Ambulance. He had been on the Wellington City Council from 1917 to 1923.
He was born near Maryborough, Queensland, Australia. He modelled the Wellington Free Ambulance on similar services in Australia (Brisbane, Maryborough and Newcastle). He had seen the efficient operation of the Brisbane service, and when he saw from his Mayoral car in Wellington an accident in Lambton Quay he got out and put his coat on the victim. As the Hospital would not send their ambulance, he requested that the Wellington Harbour Board send their ambulance to move the patient. He then resolved to start a free ambulance service in Wellington.
His business was selling cars; he obtained the franchise for the popular Morris cars from England by going out to the ship on which Lord Nuffield was arriving in Wellington in the pilot boat. He had been Chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board!
In 1966 he had been in indifferent health for some while, but was still Chairman of the Wellington Free Ambulance when he died, aged 95. His trademarks were a cigar and his goatee beard. His wife Rosina was President of the Ladies’ Auxiliary from 1929 to 1955, and she was succeeded by their daughter Eileen, Mrs A. L. George.
Sir Charles was knighted in 1937.
[edit] References
- Borne Free: The Wellington Free Ambulance 1927-1994 by A. W. Beasley (1995, Wellington Free Ambulance) ISBN 1 86934 047 7
