1983 Wellington mayoral election

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1983 Wellington mayoral election
Wellington CoA (shield only).svg
  1980 8 October 1983 1986  
Turnout38,856 (37.59%)
  Ian Lawrence, 1986.jpg Helene Ritchie, 1986.jpg
Candidate Ian Lawrence Helene Ritchie
Party Citizens' Labour
Popular vote19,95211,876
Percentage49.2830.56

Mayor before election

Sir Michael Fowler

Elected mayor

Ian Lawrence

The 1983 Wellington mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1983, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government positions including eighteen city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Contents

Background

The election saw deputy mayor Ian Lawrence voted in as the new Mayor of Wellington to replace Sir Michael Fowler who had retired. Lawrence retained the Mayoralty for the Citizens' Association, seeing off a challenge from high profile Labour Party councillor Helene Ritchie. Given Lawrence's quiet style and low profile compared to Ritchie's more marked public reputation, most commentators and pollsters were predicting a very close result. [1] The eventual outcome was a surprise to many with Lawrence winning by a margin exceeding 8,000 votes, with media dubbing him "Landslide Lawrence". Ritchie retrospectively blamed her loss on an "anti-woman vote". [2]

The 1983 election was also notable as it saw former Citizens' councillor Leone Harkness re-elected to the council as an independent candidate, the first time a candidate without an official party ticket had been elected to the council since Berkeley Dallard in 1950. It also saw Jenny Brough (later Harris) retain her seat on the council after defecting from Labour in 1982. It also marked the last time in Wellington where local body elections elected councillors at large.

Mayoralty results

1983 Wellington mayoral election [3] [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Citizens' Ian Lawrence 19,952 49.28
Labour Helene Ritchie 11,87630.56
Independent Leone Harkness6,20815.97
Independent Josie Bullock6431.65
Private EnterpriseFrank Moncur1770.45−0.35
Informal votes2440.62
Majority 8,07620.78
Turnout 38,85637.59
Results by locality
LocalityLawrenceRitchieHarknessBullockMoncurWinner
Onslow College 3331599774Lawrence
Johnsonville West School228645640Lawrence
Johnsonville Emergency Centre1221273631Ritchie
Johnsonville Community Centre2431626141Lawrence
Johnsonville School 29816311331Lawrence
Paparangi School 1861057322Lawrence
Rewa Rewa School 151724412Lawrence
White's Garage 5623601Lawrence
Bellvue School161634130Lawrence
Centennial Hall37521110232Lawrence
Newlands Tennis Club68402000Lawrence
Wallace's Garage49332320Lawrence
Churton Park School 202576520Lawrence
Downer & Co.52141421Lawrence
Dragon St. Cafeteria1718200Ritchie
Ohariu Hall50331500Lawrence
Raumati Beach School129600Lawrence
Cashmere Avenue School219756450Lawrence
Khandallah Scout Hall225505510Lawrence
St Barnabas Parish Hall139363602Lawrence
Khandallah Town Hall90725116572Lawrence
Khandallah Masonic Hall177503831Lawrence
Ngaio School 46431101Lawrence
Ngaio Kindergarten115643220Lawrence
Ngaio Town Hall51926614987Lawrence
Union Church Hall98472621Lawrence
Ngaio Playcentre90431500Lawrence
Chartwell School90321650Lawrence
Wilton School 18012157111Lawrence
Wadestown School78442720Lawrence
St Luke's Hall428235172180Lawrence
Thorndon Masonic Hall125755180Lawrence
Talavera Tennis Club33351130Ritchie
St Andrew's Hall 105633220Lawrence
Victoria University 9511646121Ritchie
Kelburn Church Hall 300271161202Lawrence
Kelburn Normal School 82764021Lawrence
Presbyterian Church Hall57552921Lawrence
Methodist Church Hall21814310385Lawrence
Northland School 1321085261Lawrence
Coad's Garage 110472412Lawrence
Karori Masonic Hall140704640Lawrence
Sprott House 269567692Lawrence
St Mary's Parish Hall245747521Lawrence
Karori School643174178101Lawrence
St John's Methodist Hall48618513385Lawrence
Karori Pavilion 176808071Lawrence
Karori West School 40720215072Lawrence
Makara Community Centre36271580Lawrence
Macalister Park94582530Lawrence
Kingston School 67231400Lawrence
Ridgeway School 144864970Lawrence
Vogelmorn Public Hall67401810Lawrence
Brooklyn Baptist Hall26117910482Lawrence
Brooklyn Community Centre1091082760Lawrence
St Matthew's Hall1661115181Lawrence
Aro Valley Community Hall13331775181Ritchie
Webb St. Depot 1271183970Lawrence
Willis St. Clinic84732530Lawrence
St John's Church Hall881134032Ritchie
Wellington Cathedral 91983321Ritchie
Wellington Girls' College 50522720Ritchie
Queen Margaret College 106422920Lawrence
Wesley Church Hall35331921Lawrence
Wellington Polytechnic 59783870Ritchie
Samoan Assembly of God 1211844176Ritchie
Berhampore School1201616861Ritchie
Island Bay Church Hall 30618488212Lawrence
Island Bay Surf Club 55381510Lawrence
Island Bay School 17011551131Lawrence
St Hilda's Church Hall29813569105Lawrence
Owhiro Bay School73762432Ritchie
Houghton Valley School67582932Lawrence
Church of the Transfiguration62594141Lawrence
Newtown Fire Station841413045Ritchie
Salvation Army Hall1691574861Lawrence
Newtown School 19531283119Ritchie
Wellington Hospital 78893100Ritchie
Southern Cross Scout Hall 55371131Lawrence
Methodist Church Hall 1431565161Ritchie
Rongotai College 1541434273Lawrence
Maranui Surf Lifesaving Club 1479266911Lawrence
Lyall Bay School 1989959105Lawrence
St Giles' Hall 26316161104Lawrence
All Saints' Church Hall107371211Lawrence
Samoan Methodist Church Hall339190124218Lawrence
Sea Cadet Hall50152410Lawrence
Haitaitai School 3091438350Lawrence
Roseneath Church Hall92373640Lawrence
St Barnabas Church Hall143764714Lawrence
Freyberg Pool 1988045113Lawrence
Central Fire Station1681425581Lawrence
Congregational Church Hall1051504560Ritchie
St Mark's Church Hall 98573531Lawrence
Miramar South School152804940Lawrence
Miramar Central School548265130175Lawrence
Miramar North School126904440Lawrence
Marist Brothers' School 2711137893Lawrence
Miramar Co-op. Hall199984332Lawrence
St Christopher's Hall48533930Ritchie
Strathmore Park School3241596951Lawrence
Breaker Bay Progressive Assn. Hall3024841Lawrence
Seatoun School438897390Lawrence
St George's Hall141434241Lawrence
Worser Bay Life Saving Club47231661Lawrence
Worser Bay School1504854110Lawrence
Town Hall 455399203252Lawrence
Postal votes 666327189156Lawrence
Hospital votes124992168Lawrence
Special votes612546184254Lawrence
Total 19,952 11,8766,208643177Lawrence

Councillor results

1983 Wellington City Council election [3] [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Citizens' Jenny Brough 20,019 51.52 +13.57
Labour Keith Spry 19,807 50.97 +5.16
Citizens' Rosemary Young-Rouse 19,766 50.86 +8.26
Labour Helene Ritchie 19,571 50.36 +2.42
Citizens' Gavin Wilson 19,166 49.32 +8.22
Independent Leone Harkness 18,478 47.55 +10.32
Labour Joe Aspell 18,272 47.02 +7.18
Citizens' Les Paske 18,236 46.93 +9.81
Citizens' Bryan Weyburne 17,939 46.17
Labour Ros Noonan 17,936 46.16 −0.28
Citizens' David Bull 17,567 45.21 −5.86
Labour Hazel Bibby 17,321 44.57 +5.53
Labour Tala Cleverley 16,901 43.49 +2.31
Citizens' Rex Nicholls 16,857 43.38
Labour Margaret Bonner 16,696 42.96
Citizens' Arthur Kinsella 16,490 42.43
Citizens' Ruth Gotlieb 15,622 40.20 +20.80
Labour Terry McDavitt 15,354 39.51
Citizens' Bruce Harris [nb 1] 15,16339.02−0.20
Citizens' Roger Ridley-Smith14,96738.51+1.18
Labour Frank O'Flynn 14,93138.42−1.96
Citizens' Colin Dickie14,71237.86
Citizens' Peter Isaac14,31936.85
Citizens' Saul Goldsmith 13,94435.88+1.83
Labour Ken Boyden13,92035.82
Labour Allan Levett13,23534.06
Citizens' Sarah Lysaght12,97033.37
Citizens' Terry Dykes12,90433.20
Citizens' Michael Carney12,78032.89
Labour John Blincoe 12,32131.70
Labour Paul Fitzgerald12,28231.60
Citizens' Joseph Kenneally12,19131.37
Labour Harry Holden12,16031.29
Labour John Gilberthorpe11,98630.84
Labour David Robinson11,66530.02+0.94
Labour Geoff Turner11,00428.31
Labour Joe McTaggart10,69227.51+0.20
Independent Josie Bullock8,77522.58
Independent Citizens' Eric Hughes4,31411.10
Private EnterpriseFrank Moncur3,2288.30+2.53
Independent John Antonius Elise Pell2,2445.77

Table footnotes:

  1. Harris was appointed to fill the vacancy on the council in 1985 caused by Leone Harkness' resignation

References

  1. Moran, Paul (28 September 1983). "Clear Choices in main-ticket mayoralty race". The Dominion .
  2. Chetwin, Suzanne (24 May 1989). "Standing Alone". The Evening Post .
  3. 1 2 Dawson, P.L. (25 October 1983). Declaration of Result of Election (Report). Wellington City Council.
  4. 1 2 "Local Body Polls '83". The Evening Post . 10 October 1983.