1959 Christchurch mayoral election
21 November 1959
Turnout30,108 (32.47%)
 
Candidate George Manning Harold Smith
Party Labour Citizens'
Popular vote 15,635 14,197
Percentage 51.92 47.15
Mayor before election

George Manning

 Elected Mayor

George Manning

The 1959 Christchurch mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1959, election were held for the Mayor of Christchurch plus other local government positions. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Background

Sitting mayor George Manning was re-elected for a full term, with a decreased majority, opposed only by Harold Smith of the Citizens' Association. Smith was successful in winning a seat on the council and was appointed deputy mayor.[1] The Citizens' Association won every council seat leaving Manning (who was also elected to the Harbour Board) as the only Labour Party elected representative in Christchurch.[2] The overall anti-Labour vote (which was consistent nationwide) was attributed to the unpopularity of the then Labour government.[3] Prime Minister Walter Nash commented simply "We seem to have held the mayoralties" in reference that in Christchurch (as well as in Wellington and Lower Hutt) Labour mayors were re-elected despite voters electing majority centre-right councils.[4]

Mayoralty results

The following table gives the election results:

1959 Christchurch mayoral election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Manning 15,635 51.92 -5.41
Citizens' Harold Smith 14,197 47.15
Informal votes 276 0.91 +0.33
Majority 1,438 4.77 -10.48
Turnout 30,108 32.47 +7.36

Councillor results

Councillors were elected at large and 19 positions were available. All councillors were from the Citizens' ticket.[6]

1959 Christchurch local election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens' Hamish Hay 18,065 60.00
Citizens' Ron Guthrey 17,610 58.48 +10.65
Citizens' Mary McLean 17,521 58.19 +6.30
Citizens' Bill Glue 17,469 58.02 +6.89
Citizens' Peter Skellerup 16,965 56.34 +4.77
Citizens' Reginald George Brown 16,815 55.84 +10.95
Citizens' Maurice Carter 16,443 54.61 +7.76
Citizens' Harold Smith 16,379 54.40 +3.69
Citizens' Bill MacGibbon 16,282 54.07 +2.20
Citizens' William James Cowles 15,625 51.89 +5.28
Citizens' William Ernest Olds 15,550 51.64 -7.28
Citizens' Alma Schumacher 15,517 51.53 +8.37
Citizens' George Griffiths 15,115 50.20 +8.34
Citizens' Tom Flint 14,822 49.22
Citizens' Gordon Denis Hattaway 14,721 48.89
Citizens' James Ronald Smith 14,679 48.75
Citizens' Walter Raymond Campbell 14,670 48.72 +6.47
Citizens' Gordon Alison Guy Connal 14,637 48.61
Citizens' Alvan Samuel Hollander 14,465 48.04
Labour Robert Macfarlane[nb 1] 13,837 45.95 -9.21
Labour Lyn Christie 12,979 43.10 -6.19
Labour Reg Stillwell 12,590 41.81 -1.32
Labour Harold Denton 12,012 39.89 -3.79
Labour Mick Connelly 11,974 39.77 -5.59
Labour Arthur John Smith 11,020 36.60 -5.57
Labour Norman Reginald Forbes 10,917 36.25 -7.02
Labour Gertrude Cree 10,614 35.25
Labour James Shankland Sr. 10,367 34.43 -7.02
Labour Clarence Hall 10,184 33.82
Labour John Palmer 10,004 33.22 -4.78
Labour Walter William Browne 9,940 33.01
Labour Archibald Galbraith 9,843 32.69 -7.02
Labour John Gordon Power 9,792 32.52
Labour John Athol Gregor 9,564 31.76 -7.22
Labour Eric Leach 9,570 31.78
Labour Lyell Charles John Southon 9,162 30.43
Labour Richard Leach 8,968 29.78
Labour James Quickenden 8,864 29.44
Independent George Maxwell Edmonds 4,823 16.01
Independent Charles E. Cullen 2,610 8.66
Communist Jack Locke 1,800 5.97 +1.14

Table footnotes:

  1. ↑ Macfarlane was appointed to the council on 13 May 1961 to fill a vacancy caused by William James Cowles' death

References

  1. ↑ "Mayors Opponent To Become Deputy-Mayor". The Press. Vol. XCVIII, no. 29059. 23 November 1959. p. 14.
  2. ↑ "Mayoral Poll – Mr Manning Succeeds". The Press. Vol. XCVIII, no. 29059. 23 November 1959. p. 14.
  3. ↑ "Anti-Labour Trend Was General". The Evening Post. 23 November 1959. p. 10.
  4. ↑ "Have Held the Mayoralties—P.M.". The Evening Post. 23 November 1959. p. 10.
  5. ↑ "Election of Mayor". The Press. Vol. XCVIII, no. 29066. 1 December 1959. p. 28.
  6. 1 2 "Christchurch City Council". The Press. Vol. XCVIII, no. 29066. 1 December 1959. p. 28.
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