Ralph Archbold

Mayor of Northcote 1910-1911

Ralph Archbold was Mayor of Northcote from 1910-1911. In 1904-05 there was a campaign to create a "Borough of Thornbury", because residents felt that the Northcote Council were neglecting them. This proposal was ruled invalid by the Minister of Public Works on a technicality, but the severance committee endorsed two candidates for the 1905 council election - Ralph Archbold and Angus McDonell. Only Archbold was elected, and so the campaign stalled.

Archbold proved to be a fiery character who kept the Council on its toes. In 1909, a Rechabite himself, he was an advocate for the opponents of registering Croxton Park as a place for public amusements. At the time, he claimed it was a place of drunkenness and fighting, a statement contradicted by the police. In 1907, he was one of the councillors in support of a campaign to have the Council run the High Street cable tram when the private lease came up for renewal. After much debate, though, the final vote was in favour of the lease remaining in private hands.

 

Lemon, Andrew. (1983). The Northcote Side of the River. North Melbourne: Hargreen.