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| Turnout | 12,248 (43.43%) | |||||||||||||||
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The 1956 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.
The incumbent Mayor, Percy Dowse, sought re-election for a third term. Dowse was opposed by William Giltrap who stood as an independent candidate. Giltrap had been a Citizens' Association councillor from 1947 to 1950 and again from 1951 to 1953. At this election the Citizens' Association (whose tickets won no seats at the 1950 and 1953 elections) did not stand an official ticket of candidates. Instead Giltrap led a group of five other candidates (known cumulatively as the "Ratepayer Independents") against the Labour council ticket. [1]
Dowse campaigned on his record of development of the city. Labour's pledges were to build a new Town Hall and civic centre, preserve open spaces in northern suburbs (Naenae, Taita and Stokes Valley) for recreation, rebuilding the Melling bridge and improving street sealing in older suburbs of the city. [2] The Ratepayer Independents campaigned on individual freedom and non-partisanship. Election pledges included rates reduction, incentivising land subdivision for new housing, beautification of the Hutt River stop banks and improving road access to Wainuiomata. [3]
Labour won even more decisively than they had in the previous two elections. It won the mayoralty, a majority on the Hutt River Board along with all seats on the city council, power board, gas board, harbour board and hospital board. The only non-Labour seat was won by Giltrap who was elected to the river board. [4]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Percy Dowse | 8,378 | 68.40 | +7.56 | |
| Independent | Will Giltrap | 3,782 | 30.88 | ||
| Informal votes | 88 | 0.71 | +0.27 | ||
| Majority | 4,596 | 37.52 | +15.20 | ||
| Turnout | 12,248 | 43.43 | -9.13 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | James McDonald | 8,733 | 71.30 | +13.84 | |
| Labour | Sam Chesney | 8,592 | 70.15 | +11.77 | |
| Labour | Trevor Young | 8,581 | 70.06 | +12.29 | |
| Labour | John Davey | 8,403 | 68.60 | +14.60 | |
| Labour | William Harvey | 8,382 | 68.43 | ||
| Labour | Jessie Donald | 8,370 | 68.33 | +14.87 | |
| Labour | Chen Werry | 8,244 | 67.30 | +13.59 | |
| Labour | Wally Mildenhall | 8,028 | 65.54 | ||
| Labour | William Mouat McLaren | 8,001 | 65.32 | ||
| Labour | Bert Sutherland | 7,992 | 65.25 | ||
| Labour | Walter Gordon Bugden | 7,929 | 64.73 | +12.49 | |
| Labour | Alexander Murray | 7,836 | 63.97 | +10.34 | |
| Labour | William Riley | 7,331 | 59.85 | ||
| Labour | Clarence Fennell [nb 1] | 7,312 | 59.69 | +10.80 | |
| Labour | Allan Patrick Ryan | 7,201 | 58.79 | ||
| Independent | Alwin Atkinson | 5,567 | 45.45 | +7.49 | |
| Independent | Will Giltrap | 5,537 | 45.20 | +2.11 | |
| Independent | Cyril Phelps | 5,297 | 43.24 | +20.95 | |
| Independent | Randall Owen George Slacke | 5,173 | 42.23 | ||
| Independent | Amy Irene Wilson | 4,858 | 39.66 | ||
| Independent | Lawry Richard Donovan | 4,781 | 39.03 | ||
Table footnotes:
The city of Lower Hutt, New Zealand, was first proclaimed a borough on 1 February 1891. Prior to this it had been part of Hutt County, initially as a Roads Board and from 1881 as a Town Board.
Sir John Kennedy-Good was a New Zealand politician. He was mayor of Lower Hutt from 1970 to 1986.
Percy Dowse was a New Zealand politician. He was mayor of Lower Hutt from 1950 to 1970.
William Cooper Gregory was a New Zealand politician who was the Mayor of Lower Hutt from 1949 to 1950.
Thomas Glendwr Gardner "Glen" Evans was a New Zealand politician. He served as the mayor of Lower Hutt from 1986 to 1995.
The 1941 Wellington City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1941, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington and fifteen city councillors plus seats on the Wellington Hospital Board and Wellington Harbour Board. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.
The Wellington Citizens' Association, was a right-leaning local body electoral ticket in Wellington, New Zealand. It was formed in 1911 by merging the selection process of council candidates of several civic interest groups and business lobby groups. Its main ambitions were to continue to control the Wellington City Council, reduce local spending and deny left-leaning Labour Party candidates being elected.
The 1959 Wellington City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1959, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.
The 1941 Auckland City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1941, elections were held for the Mayor of Auckland plus other local government positions including twenty-one city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.
The Lower Hutt Citizens' Association, was a right-leaning local body electoral ticket in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. It was formed in 1945 by merging the selection process of council candidates of several civic interest groups and business lobby groups. Its main ambitions were to continue to control the Lower Hutt City Council, reduce local spending and deny left-leaning Labour Party candidates election.
The 1950 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including twelve city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.
Harcourt Chenoweth "Chen" Werry was a New Zealand businessman and politician. He was a Lower Hutt City Councillor for 36 years from 1950 to 1986 and was twice deputy mayor.
The 1953 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.
The 1959 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.
The 1962 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.
The 1965 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.
The 1968 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.
The 1971 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.
Ernest Albert Barry was a New Zealand educator and politician. He was a Lower Hutt city councillor and was deputy mayor from 1977 to 1980.
The 1986 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including sixteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.
