Mayor of Christchurch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mayor of Christchurch |
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![]() Coat of arms of Christchurch
(Shield-only version) |
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Christchurch City Council | |
Style | His Worship |
Member of | Christchurch City Council |
Seat | Christchurch Civic Offices |
Appointer | Electorate of Christchurch |
Term length | Three years, renewable |
Inaugural holder | William Wilson |
Formation | 1868 |
Deputy | Pauline Cotter |
Salary | $200,000 |
Website | Official Website: https://www.ccc.govt.nz/the-council/mayor-and-councillors/the-mayor/ |
The Mayor of Christchurch is the main leader of the local government in Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch is one of many cities in New Zealand that has a mayor. The mayor leads the Christchurch City Council and is chosen by the people of Christchurch in an election.
The current mayor is Phil Mauger, who was elected in 2022. The deputy mayor, who helps the mayor, is Pauline Cotter.
Christchurch first had leaders called "chairmen" of the town council. In 1868, the chairman became the city's first mayor. This mayor was chosen by the other city councillors. Since 1875, the people of Christchurch have voted directly for their mayor. The first election where people voted was in 1876.
Contents
History of Christchurch's Leaders
Early Chairmen of the Town Council
Christchurch officially became a city on 31 July 1856. It was the first city in New Zealand! Before there were mayors, the city was led by chairmen of the town council starting in 1862. Five different chairmen led the city in these early years:
Name | Portrait | Term | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | John Hall | ![]() |
1862–1863 |
2 | John Ollivier | ![]() |
1863–1864 |
3 | Isaac Luck | ![]() |
1865 |
4 | Edward Bishop | ![]() |
1866 |
5 | William Wilson | ![]() |
1867 |
How Mayors Were Chosen
On 10 June 1868, the town council met to choose Christchurch's first mayor. Back then, city councillors were elected for three years. Each year, they would pick one of themselves to be the mayor. The public did not vote for the mayor directly at that time.
At the meeting, the councillors decided that William Wilson, who was the last chairman, would become the first mayor. This change happened because of a new law called the Municipal Corporations Act 1867.
Christchurch has had 47 mayors in total. The mayor who served the longest was Sir Hamish Hay. He was mayor for 15 years, which is five terms! The shortest time a mayor served was Tommy Taylor in 1911. He passed away just three months after being elected. William Wilson's first term was also very short, lasting only six months.
So far, Vicki Buck and Lianne Dalziel have been the only female mayors of Christchurch.
The way mayors were chosen changed in 1875. A new law said that mayors had to be elected by all eligible voters, not just by the councillors. Fred Hobbs was the only person nominated in 1875, so he became mayor without a public vote.
James Gapes was the first mayor to be elected by public vote on 20 December 1876. He officially started his role on 2 January 1877.
At first, mayors served for one year. This changed in 1915 when elections started happening every two years. Then, in 1935, the mayoral term was changed to three years, which is how long it is today.
Five mayors have served more than one term, but not in a row:
- James Gapes
- Walter Cooper
- Charles Louisson
- Charles Gray
- Robert Macfarlane
Recent Mayors
Four former mayors of Christchurch are still alive:
- Vicki Buck (served 1989–1998)
- Garry Moore (served 1998–2007)
- Bob Parker (served 2007–2013)
- Lianne Dalziel (served 2013–2022)
List of Mayors
Name | Portrait | Term | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | William Wilson | ![]() |
1868 |
2 | John Anderson | ![]() |
1868–1869 |
3 | Andrew Duncan | ![]() |
1869–1870 |
4 | James Jameson | ![]() |
1870–1871 |
5 | Henry Sawtell | ![]() |
1871–1872 |
6 | Edward Bishop | ![]() |
1872–1873 |
7 | Michael Hart | ![]() |
1873–1874 |
8 | Fred Hobbs | ![]() |
1875–1876 |
9 | James Gapes | ![]() |
1876–1877 |
10 | Henry Thomson | ![]() |
1877–1878 |
11 | Charles Thomas Ick | ![]() |
1878–1880 |
(9) | James Gapes | ![]() |
1880–1881 |
12 | George Ruddenklau | ![]() |
1881–1883 |
13 | Charles Hulbert | ![]() |
1883–1885 |
14 | Aaron Ayers | ![]() |
1885–1887 |
15 | Charles Louisson | ![]() |
1887–1889 |
16 | Samuel Manning | ![]() |
1889–1890 |
17 | Charles Gray | ![]() |
1890–1891 |
18 | William Prudhoe | ![]() |
1891–1892 |
19 | Eden George | ![]() |
1892–1893 |
20 | Thomas Gapes | ![]() |
1893–1894 |
21 | Walter Cooper | ![]() |
1894–1895 |
22 | Harry Beswick | ![]() |
1895–1896 |
(21) | Walter Cooper | ![]() |
1896–1897 |
(15) | Charles Louisson | ![]() |
1897–1899 |
23 | William Reece | ![]() |
1899–1901 |
24 | Arthur Rhodes | ![]() |
1901–1902 |
25 | Henry Wigram | ![]() |
1902–1904 |
(17) | Charles Gray | ![]() |
1904–1905 |
26 | John Hall | ![]() |
1906–1907 |
27 | George Payling | ![]() |
1907–1908 |
28 | Charles Allison | ![]() |
1908–1911 |
29 | Tommy Taylor | ![]() |
1911† |
30 | John Joseph Dougall | ![]() |
1911–1912 |
31 | Henry Holland | ![]() |
1912–1919 |
32 | Henry Thacker | ![]() |
1919–1923 |
33 | James Flesher | ![]() |
1923–1925 |
34 | Rev John Archer | ![]() |
1925–1931 |
35 | Dan Sullivan | ![]() |
1931–1936 |
36 | John Beanland | ![]() |
1936–1938 |
37 | Robert Macfarlane | ![]() |
1938–1941 |
38 | Ernest Andrews | ![]() |
1941–1950 |
(37) | Robert Macfarlane | ![]() |
1950–1958 |
39 | George Manning | 1958–1968 | |
40 | Ron Guthrey | ![]() |
1968–1971 |
41 | Neville Pickering | ![]() |
1971–1974 |
42 | Hamish Hay | ![]() |
1974–1989 |
43 | Vicki Buck | ![]() |
1989–1998 |
44 | Garry Moore | ![]() |
1998–2007 |
45 | Bob Parker | ![]() |
2007–2013 |
46 | Lianne Dalziel | ![]() |
2013–2022 |
47 | Phil Mauger | ![]() |
2022–present |
Deputy Mayors of Christchurch
The job of deputy mayor was created in 1917. Alfred Williams was the first person to be elected to this role.
Some deputy mayors later became mayors themselves: John Beanland, James Flesher, Dan Sullivan, Ernest Andrews, and George Manning.
Also, some people were mayors first, and then became deputy mayors: Henry Thacker, John Archer, Robert Macfarlane, and Vicki Buck.
The current deputy mayor is Pauline Cotter, who started in October 2022.
Mayor | Term (mayor) | Deputy-mayor | Term (deputy) | ||
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31 | Henry Holland | 1912–1919 | 1 | Alfred Williams | 1917–1919 |
32 | Henry Thacker | 1919–1923 | 2 | John Beanland | 1919–1921 |
3 | James Flesher | 1921–1923 | |||
33 | James Flesher | 1923–1925 | 4 | Arnaud McKellar | 1923–1925 |
34 | Rev John Archer | 1925–1931 | 5 | Charles Phipp Agar | 1925–1927 |
6 | Dan Sullivan | 1927–1929 | |||
7 | Henry Thacker | 1929–1931 | |||
35 | Dan Sullivan | 1931–1936 | 8 | Rev John Archer | 1931–1935 |
John Beanland, 2nd time | 1935–1936 | ||||
36 | John Beanland | 1936–1938 | 9 | Ernest Andrews | 1936–1938 |
37 | Robert Macfarlane | 1938–1941 | 10 | John Septimus "Jack" Barnett | 1938–1941 |
38 | Ernest Andrews | 1941–1950 | 11 | Melville Lyons | 1941–1947 |
12 | James (Jim) Neil Clarke | 1947–1950 | |||
Robert Macfarlane, 2nd time | 1950–1958 | 13 | George Manning | 1950–1958 | |
39 | George Manning | 1958–1968 | 14 | Leslie George Amos | 1958–1959 |
15 | Harold Smith | 1959–1971 | |||
40 | Ron Guthrey | 1968–1971 | |||
41 | Neville Pickering | 1971–1974 | 16 | Robert Macfarlane | 1971–1974 |
42 | Hamish Hay | 1974–1989 | 17 | Peter Skellerup | 1974–1980 |
18 | Rex Lester | 1980–1983 | |||
19 | Maurice Carter | 1983–1989 | |||
43 | Vicki Buck | 1989–1998 | 20 | Morgan Fahey | 1989–1998 |
44 | Garry Moore | 1998–2007 | 21 | Lesley Keast | 1998–2004 |
22 | Carole Evans | 2005–2007 | |||
45 | Bob Parker | 2007–2013 | 23 | Norm Withers | 2008–2010 |
24 | Ngaire Button | 2011–2013 | |||
46 | Lianne Dalziel | 2013–2022 | 25 | Vicki Buck | 2013–2016 |
26 | Andrew Turner | 2016–2022 | |||
47 | Phil Mauger | 2022–present | 27 | Pauline Cotter | 2022–present |
Timeline of Mayors
