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Item Type: Role
Linked To
Person in Role
- George Hunter
- William Guyton
- Joseph Dransfield
- Charles Bonython Borlase
- William Sefton Moorhouse
- William Hutchison
- George Allen
- George Fisher
- Arthur Winton Brown
- Samuel Brown
- John Duthie
- Sir Charles John Johnston
- Francis Bell
- Alfred de Bathe Brandon
- Sir Charles Manley Luke
- John Rutherford Blair
- John Guthrie Wood Aitken
- Thomas William Hislop
- Alfred Kingcome Newman
- Sir Thomas Mason Wilford
- David McLaren
- Sir John-Pearce Luke
- Robert Alexander Wright
- Sir Charles John Boyd Norwood
- Sir George Alexander Troup
- Thomas Charles Atkinson Hislop
- Sir William Appleton
- Robert Lachlan Macalister
- Sir Francis Joseph Kitts
- Sir Michael Fowler
- Ian Lawrence
- Sir James Belich
- Fran Wilde
- Mark Blumsky
- Kerry Prendergast
- Celia Wade-Brown
- Mayoral robes and Mayoral chain (general file)
- Forming committee dealing with influenza - The Mayor of Wellington
- Notifying Council of Dransfield's re-election as Mayor - Returning Officer
- Voting at election of Mayor and Councillors - Jas Anderson
- Mayoral Mace from Harrogate, United Kingdom
- Queen Elizabeth II with Sir Robert Macalister, Mayor, descending main entrance stairs of Town Hall
- Mayor and Councillors
- Illuminated address to George Fisher, Mayor, and others, from the Jubilee Committee (by William Bock)
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Mayor of Wellington
Descriptive Data
Other Namespresident, chairman
Date Range1842-presentDescriptionThe earliest attempt at establishing the Mayoral role was in 1840, when English settlers formed a council headed by William Wakefield as “President”, which they did against the wishes of the British Government. This is commemorated in the illuminated address from the Jubilee committee, linked below.
This "council” came to a dramatic end when a magistrate of the fledgeling local government tried to imprison a British ship’s captain. The captain reported the attempt to British authorities, and not long after, an armed ship arrived in Port Nicholson to dissolve the local government.
Wellington’s first official Mayor, George Hunter, was elected in 1842 and died a year later. His successor, William Guyton, was in office a few short months before the borough was dissolved by the British Government, yet again. In its place, a Town Board was established in 1863. Wellington did not have another mayor until 1870, at which point the Wellington Town Board became the Wellington Council, and the Chairman of the Board became the Mayor of Wellington.
Initially, the Mayor was chosen annually by his councillors, which led to political cliques and eventually, to controversy. By his third unopposed year in office, the third Mayor of Wellington, Joseph Dransfield, was facing accusations of cronyism. An anti-Dransfield group formed within the council and elected Charles Borlase in 1874. A year later a motion was passed that the Mayor should be elected, not by councillors behind closed doors, but by the people of Wellington directly – a practice which has continued to this day.
When the role was first established, the Municipal Corporations Act 1842 suggested that a council consisting of eleven aldermen and a mayor would “make and keep in repair all roads, streets, squares, causeways and bridges within the limits of the borough; to excavate construct and maintain wells, waterworks, conduits, sewers and other like works; and to take order for the prevention of fires”. The mayor was solely charged with; calling meetings of the council “as often as he thought proper”, arranging and presiding over these meetings, and had the power to cast an extra, deciding vote if the council was unable to reach consensus.
More modern legislative basis for the Mayor of Wellington can be found in the Local Government Act 2002. The Mayor is elected once every three years by residents who are enrolled to vote, and their duties involve; providing leadership to the district, leading development of policies, budgets, the long-term plan, and the annual plan. As the legislation and council have expanded, the Mayor has gained responsibilities for establishing committees, appointing chairpersons to those committees, and appointing the Deputy Mayor.
The Mayor has remained responsible for providing leadership in Council meetings. These are traditionally held in Council Chambers and involve formal rituals, symbols of office, and regalia. Our collection includes thorough documentation of these symbols of office, including correspondence about the Mayoral robes and chain, images of regalia, records of committees, and election processes. Any member of the public who wishes to do so may attend Council meetings. Schedules, minutes and reports are freely available on the Wellington City Council website, and meetings are livestreamed on WCC’s YouTube page.External LinksAbout the Council - Office of the Mayor - Wellington City CouncilLocal Government Act 2002 No 84 (as at 01 September 2022), Public Act 41A Role and powers of mayors – New Zealand LegislationMunicipal Corporations Act 1842 (5 Victoriae 1842 No 6) (nzlii.org)Voting and becoming a councillor Local Government (localcouncils.govt.nz)Council - 29 September 2022, 1.00PM - Meetings - Wellington City CouncilMeetings - Attending and speaking at meetings - Wellington City Council
Date Range1842-presentDescriptionThe earliest attempt at establishing the Mayoral role was in 1840, when English settlers formed a council headed by William Wakefield as “President”, which they did against the wishes of the British Government. This is commemorated in the illuminated address from the Jubilee committee, linked below. This "council” came to a dramatic end when a magistrate of the fledgeling local government tried to imprison a British ship’s captain. The captain reported the attempt to British authorities, and not long after, an armed ship arrived in Port Nicholson to dissolve the local government.
Wellington’s first official Mayor, George Hunter, was elected in 1842 and died a year later. His successor, William Guyton, was in office a few short months before the borough was dissolved by the British Government, yet again. In its place, a Town Board was established in 1863. Wellington did not have another mayor until 1870, at which point the Wellington Town Board became the Wellington Council, and the Chairman of the Board became the Mayor of Wellington.
Initially, the Mayor was chosen annually by his councillors, which led to political cliques and eventually, to controversy. By his third unopposed year in office, the third Mayor of Wellington, Joseph Dransfield, was facing accusations of cronyism. An anti-Dransfield group formed within the council and elected Charles Borlase in 1874. A year later a motion was passed that the Mayor should be elected, not by councillors behind closed doors, but by the people of Wellington directly – a practice which has continued to this day.
When the role was first established, the Municipal Corporations Act 1842 suggested that a council consisting of eleven aldermen and a mayor would “make and keep in repair all roads, streets, squares, causeways and bridges within the limits of the borough; to excavate construct and maintain wells, waterworks, conduits, sewers and other like works; and to take order for the prevention of fires”. The mayor was solely charged with; calling meetings of the council “as often as he thought proper”, arranging and presiding over these meetings, and had the power to cast an extra, deciding vote if the council was unable to reach consensus.
More modern legislative basis for the Mayor of Wellington can be found in the Local Government Act 2002. The Mayor is elected once every three years by residents who are enrolled to vote, and their duties involve; providing leadership to the district, leading development of policies, budgets, the long-term plan, and the annual plan. As the legislation and council have expanded, the Mayor has gained responsibilities for establishing committees, appointing chairpersons to those committees, and appointing the Deputy Mayor.
The Mayor has remained responsible for providing leadership in Council meetings. These are traditionally held in Council Chambers and involve formal rituals, symbols of office, and regalia. Our collection includes thorough documentation of these symbols of office, including correspondence about the Mayoral robes and chain, images of regalia, records of committees, and election processes. Any member of the public who wishes to do so may attend Council meetings. Schedules, minutes and reports are freely available on the Wellington City Council website, and meetings are livestreamed on WCC’s YouTube page.
External LinksAbout the Council - Office of the Mayor - Wellington City CouncilLocal Government Act 2002 No 84 (as at 01 September 2022), Public Act 41A Role and powers of mayors – New Zealand LegislationMunicipal Corporations Act 1842 (5 Victoriae 1842 No 6) (nzlii.org)Voting and becoming a councillor Local Government (localcouncils.govt.nz)Council - 29 September 2022, 1.00PM - Meetings - Wellington City CouncilMeetings - Attending and speaking at meetings - Wellington City CouncilPerson
Role
Related People
Related People
Related People
Person in RoleJoseph DransfieldDates in Role1870-1872 and 1878
Dates in Role1870-1872 and 1878Related People
Person in RoleCharles Bonython BorlaseDates in Role1874
Dates in Role1874Related People
Person in RoleWilliam Sefton MoorhouseDates in Role1875
Dates in Role1875Related People
Person in RoleWilliam HutchisonDates in Role1876-1877 and 1879-1881
Dates in Role1876-1877 and 1879-1881Related People
Person in RoleGeorge AllenDates in Role1879
Dates in Role1879Related People
Person in RoleGeorge FisherDates in Role1882-1885 and 1896
Dates in Role1882-1885 and 1896Related People
Person in RoleArthur Winton BrownDates in Role1886 and 1891
Dates in Role1886 and 1891Related People
Person in RoleSamuel BrownDates in Role1887-1888
Dates in Role1887-1888Related People
Person in RoleJohn DuthieDates in Role1889
Dates in Role1889Related People
Person in RoleSir Charles John JohnstonDates in Role1890
Dates in Role1890Related People
Person in RoleFrancis BellDates in Role1892-1893 and 1897
Dates in Role1892-1893 and 1897Related People
Person in RoleAlfred de Bathe BrandonDates in Role1893-1894
Dates in Role1893-1894Related People
Person in RoleSir Charles Manley LukeDates in Role1895
Dates in Role1895Related People
Person in RoleJohn Rutherford BlairDates in Role1898
Dates in Role1898Related People
Person in RoleJohn Guthrie Wood AitkenDates in Role1900-1904
Dates in Role1900-1904Related People
Person in RoleThomas William HislopDates in Role1905-1908
Dates in Role1905-1908Related People
Person in RoleAlfred Kingcome NewmanDates in Role1909
Dates in Role1909Related People
Person in RoleSir Thomas Mason WilfordDates in Role1910-1911
Dates in Role1910-1911Related People
Person in RoleDavid McLarenDates in Role1912
Dates in Role1912Related People
Person in RoleSir John-Pearce LukeDates in Role1913-1921
Dates in Role1913-1921Related People
Person in RoleRobert Alexander WrightDates in Role1921-1925
Dates in Role1921-1925Related People
Person in RoleSir Charles John Boyd NorwoodDates in Role1925-1927
Dates in Role1925-1927Related People
Person in RoleSir George Alexander TroupDates in Role1927-1931
Dates in Role1927-1931Related People
Person in RoleThomas Charles Atkinson HislopDates in Role1931-1944
Dates in Role1931-1944Related People
Person in RoleSir William AppletonDates in Role1944-1950
Dates in Role1944-1950Related People
Person in RoleRobert Lachlan MacalisterDates in Role1950-1956
Dates in Role1950-1956Related People
Person in RoleSir Francis Joseph KittsDates in Role1956-1974
Dates in Role1956-1974Related People
Person in RoleSir Michael FowlerDates in Role1974-1983
Dates in Role1974-1983Related People
Person in RoleIan LawrenceDates in Role1983-1986
Dates in Role1983-1986Related People
Person in RoleSir James BelichDates in Role1986-1992
Dates in Role1986-1992Related People
Person in RoleFran WildeDates in Role1992-1995
Dates in Role1992-1995Related People
Person in RoleMark BlumskyDates in Role1995-2001
Dates in Role1995-2001Related People
Person in RoleKerry PrendergastDates in Role2001-2010
Dates in Role2001-2010Related People
Person in RoleCelia Wade-BrownDates in Role2010-2016
Dates in Role2010-2016Related People
Person in RoleJustin LesterDates in Role2016-2019
Dates in Role2016-2019Related People
Person in RoleAndy FosterDates in Role2019-2022
Dates in Role2019-2022Related Agency
Related AgencyMayor's Office
Related Roles
Relationships
Related ItemMayoral robes and Mayoral chain (general file)Forming committee dealing with influenza - The Mayor of WellingtonNotifying Council of Dransfield's re-election as Mayor - Returning OfficerVoting at election of Mayor and Councillors - Jas AndersonMayoral chainMayoral Mace from Harrogate, United KingdomQueen Elizabeth II with Sir Robert Macalister, Mayor, descending main entrance stairs of Town HallMayor and Councillors
Forming committee dealing with influenza - The Mayor of WellingtonNotifying Council of Dransfield's re-election as Mayor - Returning OfficerVoting at election of Mayor and Councillors - Jas AndersonMayoral chainMayoral Mace from Harrogate, United KingdomQueen Elizabeth II with Sir Robert Macalister, Mayor, descending main entrance stairs of Town HallMayor and CouncillorsMayor of Wellington. Archives Online, accessed 29/03/2023, https://archivesonline.wcc.govt.nz/nodes/view/516068