Campbell Ross
oss was born in Waiuku on August 1912, the youngest of four children born to Daisy (nee Campbell) and H.O.Mellsop. He started school in
Waiuku in 1917, two years latter was attending Kohekohe and Te Toro along with his brother Bruce, and half way through 1925 the family
moved to Tuakau with Ross attending Pukekohe Technical College. Ross left school at an early age to go farming with his brothers at Te Toro until he moved to Colville taking over his father's 1000 acre property clearing it of Mauku bush and rock. Ossie had by this stage moved to Auckland. When the Colville property was sold Ross returned to Te Toro farming. In January 1940 at the age of 27 he enlisted and served in the Second Echelon of the 21st Battalion in North Africa, Crete and Greece during World War II. He was awarded the Military Medal for storming two machine-gun posts and an anti tank gun crew during the battle of Takrouna in the Western Desert. He was invalided out of the Army in 1941 and returned to Waiuku.
Ross married Thyra of Waiuku in November 1943, and in 1944 Ross and Thyra bought the historic 157 acre (36.75 hetares) Symes Bros farm in the Waikoukou Valley, Waimauku. The original farm house "Grassvale" was built sometime in the late 1800s by an English immigrant, Joseph Wilkins. Farming there for the next 20 years, crops such as barley, maize, sugar beet, carrots were grown. The main income was cream production from the milking cows, but the farm also ran pigs, sheep, and other assorted animals such as hens, geese, turkeys, horses and the inevitable cats and dogs. The jobs of harvesting and haymaking were communal affairs with all the neighbouring farmers, helping each other out. Until 1949 when they purchased their first tractor, everything was done with horses and by hand. Men returning from overseas were employed as extra labour and lived with their families in a cottage on the farm. Ross and Thyra raised six children (2 sons and 4 daughters) all of whom attended the local Waimauku Primary School where Ross served on the committee, retiring after serving a term as Chairman. He was also involved with coaching rugby and took an active interest in other sports transporting children to numerous venues for tennis, netball, swimming, athletics. When he had time to take a break from farming he enjoyed swimming, especially at nearby Muriwai Beach, but also at Orewa where the
family had a holiday home. A lover of nature he enjoyed taking his children for bush walks and naming the native trees and birds.
Formal entertainment was limited to the very occasional visit to the Helensville picture theatre, and the annual RSA Ball or the Local Dairy
Factory Ball. In 1962 the family moved to a small holding in Taylor Road, Waimauku, retaining an interest in farming by running a few sheep. Ross seldom missed a day at the weekly stock sales and the annual A & P Show at Kumeu. He then began a career in Real Estate and started work in a real estate company in Papakura but worked mainly for Wrightsons and Elders in Kumeu, Helensville and surrounding areas. Having played rugby in his younger days Ross was a keen follower supporting local and provincial teams and following the All Black tours to Great Britain and South Africa. In his 40s he began playing golf joining the Muriwai Golf Club where he subsequently served on the committee and was made an honorary life member and Patron of the Club. He was also a long time member of both the Waimauku and Helensville RSAs.
Ross remained actively involved in real estate and retained a strong interest in the people and activities of Waimauku and surrounding areas up
until his death in June 1993 at the age of 81 years, preceding Thyra by five years.
Waiuku in 1917, two years latter was attending Kohekohe and Te Toro along with his brother Bruce, and half way through 1925 the family
moved to Tuakau with Ross attending Pukekohe Technical College. Ross left school at an early age to go farming with his brothers at Te Toro until he moved to Colville taking over his father's 1000 acre property clearing it of Mauku bush and rock. Ossie had by this stage moved to Auckland. When the Colville property was sold Ross returned to Te Toro farming. In January 1940 at the age of 27 he enlisted and served in the Second Echelon of the 21st Battalion in North Africa, Crete and Greece during World War II. He was awarded the Military Medal for storming two machine-gun posts and an anti tank gun crew during the battle of Takrouna in the Western Desert. He was invalided out of the Army in 1941 and returned to Waiuku.
Ross married Thyra of Waiuku in November 1943, and in 1944 Ross and Thyra bought the historic 157 acre (36.75 hetares) Symes Bros farm in the Waikoukou Valley, Waimauku. The original farm house "Grassvale" was built sometime in the late 1800s by an English immigrant, Joseph Wilkins. Farming there for the next 20 years, crops such as barley, maize, sugar beet, carrots were grown. The main income was cream production from the milking cows, but the farm also ran pigs, sheep, and other assorted animals such as hens, geese, turkeys, horses and the inevitable cats and dogs. The jobs of harvesting and haymaking were communal affairs with all the neighbouring farmers, helping each other out. Until 1949 when they purchased their first tractor, everything was done with horses and by hand. Men returning from overseas were employed as extra labour and lived with their families in a cottage on the farm. Ross and Thyra raised six children (2 sons and 4 daughters) all of whom attended the local Waimauku Primary School where Ross served on the committee, retiring after serving a term as Chairman. He was also involved with coaching rugby and took an active interest in other sports transporting children to numerous venues for tennis, netball, swimming, athletics. When he had time to take a break from farming he enjoyed swimming, especially at nearby Muriwai Beach, but also at Orewa where the
family had a holiday home. A lover of nature he enjoyed taking his children for bush walks and naming the native trees and birds.
Formal entertainment was limited to the very occasional visit to the Helensville picture theatre, and the annual RSA Ball or the Local Dairy
Factory Ball. In 1962 the family moved to a small holding in Taylor Road, Waimauku, retaining an interest in farming by running a few sheep. Ross seldom missed a day at the weekly stock sales and the annual A & P Show at Kumeu. He then began a career in Real Estate and started work in a real estate company in Papakura but worked mainly for Wrightsons and Elders in Kumeu, Helensville and surrounding areas. Having played rugby in his younger days Ross was a keen follower supporting local and provincial teams and following the All Black tours to Great Britain and South Africa. In his 40s he began playing golf joining the Muriwai Golf Club where he subsequently served on the committee and was made an honorary life member and Patron of the Club. He was also a long time member of both the Waimauku and Helensville RSAs.
Ross remained actively involved in real estate and retained a strong interest in the people and activities of Waimauku and surrounding areas up
until his death in June 1993 at the age of 81 years, preceding Thyra by five years.
Susanne Wilson. The Mellsop Family (page 136 -137)