Robert Ollason
Image kindly supplied by the Shetland Islands Council
Robert 'Robbie' Ollason (b. 1887, Lerwick, d. 22 January 1961, Lerwick) was a prominent local public figure in Shetland. He was a mercantile clerk and later had a newsagents & stationers shop at 155 Commercial Street, (where the The Stage Door operated, across from John Rae's jewellers), in later life he was a member of the Shetland Health Board where he played an important role in getting the New Gilbert Bain Hospital built. However, he died before it was opened. He was very involved in local government and represented the Lerwick Town Council between 1919 to 1936, and 1945 to 1960, a total of 32 years. He also represented Whalsay And Skerries between 1938 and 1945.
He unsuccessfully contested the 1937 Whalsay & Skerries County Council by-election.
Shetland Times Obituary Notes
Ollason was a very notable Shetlander - his obituary taking up 3 columns in the 1961 Shetland Times.
The obituary notes, ironically, that while Robert left school aged 11, he later became the Chairman of the Shetland Education Committee. His first job was as a clerk and apprentice for a lawyer, Andrew Robertson, later becoming a clerk for Goodlad & Coutts, shoemakers. His first entry into business on the employing side was as a partner with the firm J & R Groat, bakers. He married Joan White in 1910. Ollason took over Charles Jamieson Duncan's stationary business in 1913.
He was appointed an elder of the Lerwick Parish Church (St. Columba's) in 1932 and was actively involved in it. He was, in 1930, appointed as one of the five Trustees of the Feuars & Heritors, Chairman of the body in 1940, remaining in that capacity until 1959.
He represented the County Council on the Association of County Councils in Scotland from 1952-5; on the Zetland Executive Council from 1948-60 as Vice-Chair; and on the Shetland Development Council from 1955-8. He was also a member in 1950 of the Air Service Joint Standing Committee.
For many years he had been an honorary Sheriff-Substitute in Lerwick. He had been for about 30 years Vice-Consul at Lerwick for Holland and was honoured by being made a Knight of the Netherlands Order of Orange Nassau.
Political Career
Lerwick Town Council
- Lerwick Town Council Election November 1919
- Lerwick Town Council Election November 1921
- Lerwick Town Council Election November 1924
- Lerwick Town Council Election November 1927
- Lerwick Town Council Election November 1930
- Lerwick Town Council Election November 1933
- Lerwick Town Council Election November 1945
- Lerwick Town Council Election May 1951
- Lerwick Town Council Election May 1954
- Lerwick Town Council Election May 1957
Zetland County Council
External Links
| Provosts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William Sinclair 
|
Provost for Lerwick Town Council 1933-1936 |
Succeeded by James A. Smith 
|
| Leaders of the Lerwick Town Council | ||
|---|---|---|
| Councillors | Arthur Edmondston (1818-1823) • Charles Ogilvy Snr (1823-1827) • William Spence (1827-1832) • Charles Ogilvy Jr (1832-1844) • Joseph Leask (1844-1847) • William Sievwright Snr (1847-1856) • Charles Duncan (1856-1862) • Joseph Leask (1862-1865) • Charles Duncan (1865-1874) • William Sievwright Jr (1874-1876) • Thomas Cameron (1876-1883) • John Robertson (1883-1890) • Charles Robertson (1890-1895) • John Leisk (1895-1904) • James Goudie (1904-1907) • Arthur Porteous (1907-1910) • Arthur Laing (1910-1913) • Robert Stout (1913-1915) • Peter Goodlad (1915-1920) • Robert D. Ganson (1920-1924) • James Laing (1924-1927) • John Sinclair (1927-1930) • William Sinclair (1930-1933) • Robert Ollason (1933-1936) • James A. Smith (1936-1941) • Magnus Shearer (1941-1946) • James Aitken (1946-1950) • Robert A. Anderson (1950-1953) • George Burgess (1953-1956) • William Conochie (1956-1959) • Robert Blance (1959-1962) • Harry Gray (1962-1965) • Andrew Nicolson (1965-1967) • Eric Gray (1967-1971) • Bill Smith (1971-1974) • James Taylor (1974-1975) | |
| Zetland County Council | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James Hay 
|
Member for Whalsay & Skerries 1938-1945 |
Succeeded by John Jamieson |
| Whalsay and Skerries County Councillors | ||
|---|---|---|
| Councillors | William Bruce (1890-1904) • Thomas Anderson (1904-1907) • Charles Stobie (1907-1910) • James Shearer (1910-1919) • Edwin Hyde (1919-1922) • Mitchell Williamson (1922-1924) • Magnus Shearer (1924-1937) • James Hay (1937-1938) • Robert Ollason (1938-1945) • John Jamieson (1945-1947) • Magnus Shearer (1947-1961) • David Harbison (1961-1964) • James Pottinger (1964-1973) • Frederick Dainty (1973-1975) | |
