John Luxford

Who was John Luxford?

John Hector Luxford, CMG, was a New Zealand lawyer and Mayor of Auckland City from 1953 to 1956.

Born in Palmerston North, he qualified as a solicitor in 1913 and a barrister in 1919. He practised in Te Awamutu, Hamilton and Auckland. He was Chief Judge in Samoa 1929–1935 and a magistrate in Auckland 1941–1951. He wrote several law books, and, having served in the Army in World War I, a history: With the Machine Gunners in France and Palestine.

Luxford initiated a number of reforms but was not successful in chairing the council, and in 1956 was defeated for Mayor by Thomas Ashby who had been the Auckland Town Clerk 1944–1955, and challenged his claim of waste inside the Council.

In the 1953 New Year Honours, Luxford was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.