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Mayor of Christchurch
Christchurch coat of arms shield.svg
Coat of arms of Christchurch
(Shield-only version)
Phil Mauger - 52750517421 (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Phil Mauger

since 8 October 2022
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.

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 John Hall.jpg 1862–1863
2 John Ollivier John Ollivier.jpg 1863–1864
3 Isaac Luck Isaac Luck.jpg 1865
4 Edward Bishop Edward Brenchley Bishop.jpg 1866
5 William Wilson William Barbour Wilson.jpg 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 William Barbour Wilson.jpg 1868
2 John Anderson John Anderson (mayor).jpg 1868–1869
3 Andrew Duncan Andrew Duncan (mayor).jpg 1869–1870
4 James Jameson James Jameson portrait.jpg 1870–1871
5 Henry Sawtell Henry Sawtell portrait.jpg 1871–1872
6 Edward Bishop Edward Brenchley Bishop.jpg 1872–1873
7 Michael Hart Michael Brannan Hart portrait.jpg 1873–1874
8 Fred Hobbs Fred Hobbs portrait.jpg 1875–1876
9 James Gapes James Gapes portrait.jpg 1876–1877
10 Henry Thomson Henry Thomson portrait.jpg 1877–1878
11 Charles Thomas Ick Charles Thomas Ick portrait.jpg 1878–1880
(9) James Gapes James Gapes portrait.jpg 1880–1881
12 George Ruddenklau John George Ruddenklau.jpg 1881–1883
13 Charles Hulbert Charles Hulbert (Hay).jpg 1883–1885
14 Aaron Ayers Aaron Ayers portrait.jpg 1885–1887
15 Charles Louisson Charles Louisson, 1888.jpg 1887–1889
16 Samuel Manning S Manning.jpg 1889–1890
17 Charles Gray Charles Mathew Gray.jpg 1890–1891
18 William Prudhoe William Prudhoe.jpg 1891–1892
19 Eden George Eden George 01.jpg 1892–1893
20 Thomas Gapes Thomas Gapes portrait.jpg 1893–1894
21 Walter Cooper Walter Henry Cooper.jpg 1894–1895
22 Harry Beswick Beswick obit.gif 1895–1896
(21) Walter Cooper Walter Henry Cooper.jpg 1896–1897
(15) Charles Louisson Charles Louisson, 1888.jpg 1897–1899
23 William Reece William Reece cropped.jpg 1899–1901
24 Arthur Rhodes Arthur Rhodes portrait.jpg 1901–1902
25 Henry Wigram Sir Henry Wigram.jpg 1902–1904
(17) Charles Gray Charles Mathew Gray.jpg 1904–1905
26 John Hall John Hall.jpg 1906–1907
27 George Payling George Payling (cropped).jpg 1907–1908
28 Charles Allison Charles Allison.jpg 1908–1911
29 Tommy Taylor Thomas Edward Taylor crop, 1910.jpg 1911†
30 John Joseph Dougall John Joseph Dougall (Hay).jpg 1911–1912
31 Henry Holland Henry Holland, ca 1929.jpg 1912–1919
32 Henry Thacker Henry Thacker, 1918.jpg 1919–1923
33 James Flesher James Arthur Flesher, ca 1920.jpg 1923–1925
34 Rev John Archer John Archer, 1935.jpg 1925–1931
35 Dan Sullivan Daniel Giles Sullivan (1935).jpg 1931–1936
36 John Beanland John Beanland, 1938.jpg 1936–1938
37 Robert Macfarlane Robert Macfarlane (crop).jpg 1938–1941
38 Ernest Andrews Ernest Andrews.jpg 1941–1950
(37) Robert Macfarlane Robert Macfarlane (crop).jpg 1950–1958
39 George Manning 1958–1968
40 Ron Guthrey Ron Guthrey, 1950.jpg 1968–1971
41 Neville Pickering Neville Pickering.jpg 1971–1974
42 Hamish Hay Hamish Hay, 1971.jpg 1974–1989
43 Vicki Buck Vicki Buck.jpg 1989–1998
44 Garry Moore Garry Moore, 2012.jpg 1998–2007
45 Bob Parker Bob Parker KNZM (cropped).jpg 2007–2013
46 Lianne Dalziel Lianne Dalziel September 2017.jpg 2013–2022
47 Phil Mauger Phil Mauger - 52750517421 (cropped).jpg 2022–present

Deputy Mayors of Christchurch

See also (related category): 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)
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

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