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The Christchurch mayoral election held on 27 November 1878 was contested by the incumbent mayor, Henry Thomson, and senior Christchurch City Councillor Charles Thomas Ick. The election was won by Ick with a large margin.
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The Christchurch mayoral election held on 27 November 1878 was contested by the incumbent mayor, Henry Thomson, and senior Christchurch City Councillor Charles Thomas Ick. The election was won by Ick with a large margin.
Initially, councillors elected one of their own as mayor towards the end of the year, and the role was usually awarded to the most senior councillor. The system changed with the introduction of The Municipal Corporations Acts Amendment Act, 1875, as that legislation stipulated that mayors had to be elected at large (i.e. by eligible voters). [1] The 1875 election was won unopposed by the incumbent, [2] and the 1876 election was the first that was put to public vote. [3] The 1878 election was the third mayoral election where eligible ratepayers voted. The incumbent, Henry Thomson, was first elected in 1877. [4]
One of the Christchurch newspapers, The Star , ran a vigorous campaign against Ick. [5] [6] [7] The source of their editor's objection was Ick's alignment with former mayor William Wilson. Wilson was evidently a capable men, but his reputation was seriously dented when he lost a fraud case on all counts. [8] [9] [10] Wilson stood for election to the city council once more earlier in 1878 and upon being elected, five city councillors resigned in protest, including George Ruddenklau, James Jameson, and Alexander William Bickerton. [11] [12] [13]
Henry Thomson was born in Scotland in 1828. He emigrated to Australia in 1852, came to New Zealand in 1856, and settled in Christchurch in 1865. He worked as a jeweller for his father-in-law. He was also a manager for the railways. [14] Thomson was elected onto the town and later city council in 1867, 1868, and 1875, before being elected mayor in 1877. [15]
Charles Thomas Ick came to Dunedin in 1858, where he was in business as a mercer and draper. [16] He farmed in Waikouaiti between 1863 and 1870, when he came to Christchurch and established himself as an auctioneer. [17] He held various public offices while living in Waikouaiti [17] and was elected onto the Christchurch city council in 1872, [18] 1874, and 1877. [15] Ick contested the 1876 mayoral election but was defeated by James Gapes. [3]
Ick was nominated by former mayors Henry Sawtell and James Gapes. Thomson was nominated by former mayors Andrew Duncan and James Jameson. [19] Leslie Lee acted as the returning officer. Ick won the election by a large margin. [20]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Charles Thomas Ick | 601 | 63.67 | ||
| Independent | Henry Thomson | 343 | 36.33 | -14.36 | |
| Majority | 258 | 27.33 | +25.94 | ||
| Turnout | 944 | ||||
A year later, Ick won the 1879 mayoral election against Aaron Ayers and Gapes. [21] Ick did not stand again in 1880, [22] and was succeeded by James Gapes. [23]
The Mayor of Christchurch is the head of the municipal government of Christchurch, New Zealand, and presides over the Christchurch City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system. The current mayor, Phil Mauger, was elected in the 2022 mayoral election. The current deputy mayor is Pauline Cotter.
James Purvis Jameson JP was Mayor of Christchurch in 1870–1871. A linen draper from the Manchester area, he emigrated with his family to Christchurch in 1863. He was involved with many organisations in Christchurch and was active in the Congregational church. For a time, he was a farmer on the Canterbury Plains.
Charles Partridge Hulbert was Mayor of Christchurch in from December 1883 to December 1885.
John Joseph Dougall was Mayor of Christchurch in 1911–1912. He was a solicitor by profession. In his later life, the Navy League was his main interest.
James Gapes was a local politician in Christchurch, New Zealand. He was Mayor of Christchurch on two occasions, and the father of a later mayor, Thomas Gapes. He was the first mayor who was elected by the voting public; previously city councillors chose one from their rank as mayor.
William Barbour Wilson, also known as Cabbage Wilson, was the first Mayor of Christchurch in New Zealand in 1868. A nurseryman by profession, he had large landholdings in Christchurch. His reputation was dented by a fraud conviction, and when he was subsequently elected onto the city council once more, five councillors resigned in protest.
Edward Brenchley Bishop was the fourth chairman of the Christchurch Town Council, and seven years later the sixth Mayor of Christchurch in 1872–1873. Born in Maidstone, Kent to a wealthy family, his family lived in Belgium during his childhood. He took his father's profession as a distiller and worked in London for 21 years. His sister Susannah emigrated to New Zealand in 1849 and in the following year, many Bishop siblings followed her on the Charlotte Jane, one of the First Four Ships of organised settlement of Canterbury. With his brother Frederick, he had a large farm just south of Christchurch, and the suburb of Somerfield continues to use their farm's name. The brothers were spirit merchants in the city.
Michael Brannan Hart was the publican of the White Hart Hotel in Christchurch, New Zealand, that stood on the corner of High and Cashel Streets. It was Christchurch's first hotel. Hart, originally from Freshford, Somerset, England, was one of the first settlers of Christchurch. He was a colourful character and stood for elections to the Canterbury Provincial Council and Parliament, but was unsuccessful. He was elected onto Christchurch City Council in 1869, and was chosen as Mayor of Christchurch 1873–1874 by his fellow councillors. He gave the first chain to the Christchurch mayoral chain. He was the first mayor to wear regalia, modelled on the robes of the Lord Mayor of London. He intended to leave the robes to Christchurch City Council, but after a disagreement, he changed his will and the robes were buried with him.
Frederick (Fred) Hobbs was Mayor of Christchurch, New Zealand 1874–1877 for two terms; he was the first mayor who served more than one term. He is credited with having made significant improvements to the drainage system, and thus improving health in the wider Christchurch area. Upon his lobbying, The Christchurch District Drainage Act 1875 was passed, and Hobbs became the first chairman of the Christchurch Drainage Board. The family were tailors and the location of their business premises in the north-east quadrant of Cathedral Square gave the area the name of Hobbs' corner. Fred Hobbs commissioned a new building of permanent materials for the site, which became known as Cathedral Chambers and which stood there from the mid-1880s to the 1970s. The locality changed name to Broadway corner, based on the popular café that occupied the first floor; this name is no longer in use in Christchurch.
Charles Thomas Ick was Mayor of Christchurch, New Zealand, from December 1878 to December 1880. Born in Shropshire, he learned the trade of a mercer and draper. The Icks had five children when they emigrated to Otago in 1858. He worked in his learned trade in Dunedin for five years before becoming a farmer in Waikouaiti for seven years. In 1870, he came to Christchurch and set himself up as an auctioneer and later opened a drapery business.
John George Ruddenklau JP was Mayor of Christchurch from December 1881 to December 1883. A baker from Germany, he was later the proprietor of the City Hotel. He was very active with a number of organisations, founded the German Benefit Association, and was the driving force behind the establishment of the German Church.
Aaron Ayers arrived in Christchurch, New Zealand from England as a newly married man in his mid 20s. He was a hairdresser and tobacconist for two decades before entering the auctioneering business. He was elected Mayor of Christchurch in 1885 unopposed, and was re-elected a year later in the most keenly contested mayoral election thus far, narrowly beating Charles Louisson. He retired after his second term as mayor. In 1887 he contested a 1887 by-election for Heathcote and the 1887 election for Christchurch South, but came second on both occasions. After his mayoralty, he lived mostly a private life and was known as an avid gardener.
Charles Melville Louisson, known as Charles Louisson or Chas Louisson, was a New Zealand politician. Born in London, and relocated to Australia as a teenager, he worked in farming and on the gold fields. He moved to Christchurch to join his brother Alfred in business, which they conducted in transport, as merchants and farmers in various places in the South Island. Back in Christchurch, they were joined by their brother Cecil and bought a brewery, which under their stewardship became very successful.
Thomas Gapes was Mayor of Christchurch 1893/94. His father James Gapes was twice mayor in the 1870s/80s. The family was of humble origin, had come out to New Zealand from London as assisted immigrants and were running a painting and paper-hanging business, but had come to status in their new country.
Walter Henry Cooper was Mayor of Christchurch in 1895, and again in 1897. Born in Somerset, he came to New Zealand early in his life via Australia. A butcher by trade, he later worked in trade and export. He was for many years a member of Christchurch City Council. After his wife died, he lived with his daughter in Victoria, Australia.
Henry Thomson JP was a 19th-century Mayor of Christchurch and Member of Parliament for the Christchurch North electorate in Canterbury, New Zealand.
Ernest Eden George, known as Eden George, was born in New South Wales and came to New Zealand as a young man. He made his career in photography and was active in Auckland and Dunedin, but mainly in Christchurch. Entrepreneurial, combative and confrontational, he entered the political scene. In his early life, he stood at five elections to the New Zealand Parliament, but he came last at every occasion. Surprisingly, he was elected Mayor of Christchurch in 1892 without, unlike all his predecessors, having ever served as a councillor on Christchurch City Council before. He had a most difficult year, was soundly beaten at the next election and told councillors that they "should forget him, as he would forget them". Indeed, in 1906, his was the only photo of all the city's ex mayors that was not on display in the mayor's office.
The 1876 Christchurch City mayoral election was the first election for the Mayor of Christchurch held by public vote. The election, held on 20 December, was won by James Gapes, who beat fellow city councillor Charles Thomas Ick.
The Christchurch mayoral election held on 30 November 1881 was contested by German-born baker, hotel proprietor and businessman George Ruddenklau, and businessman Charles Taylor. The election was won by Ruddenklau with a small margin.
Elections to Liverpool Town Council were held on Wednesday 1 November 1876. One third of the council seats were up for election, the term of office of each councillor being three years.
