New Zealand mayoral election
1983 Wellington City mayoral election Turnout 38,856 (37.59%)
The 1983 Wellington City 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.
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] [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 [ ]
Results by locality
Locality
Lawrence
Ritchie
Harkness
Bullock
Moncur
Onslow College 333 159
97
7
4
Johnsonville West School 228 64
56
4
0
Johnsonville Emergency Centre 122
127 36
3
1
Johnsonville Community Centre 243 162
61
4
1
Johnsonville School 298 163
113
3
1
Paparangi School 186 105
73
2
2
Rewa Rewa School 151 72
44
1
2
White's Garage 56 23
6
0
1
Bellvue School 161 63
41
3
0
Centennial Hall 375 211
102
3
2
Newlands Tennis Club 68 40
20
0
0
Wallace's Garage 49 33
23
2
0
Churton Park School 202 57
65
2
0
Downer & Co. 52 14
14
2
1
Dragon St. Cafeteria 17
18 2
0
0
Ohariu Hall 50 33
15
0
0
Raumati Beach School 12 9
6
0
0
Cashmere Avenue School 219 75
64
5
0
Khandallah Scout Hall 225 50
55
1
0
St Barnabas Parish Hall 139 36
36
0
2
Khandallah Town Hall 907 251
165
7
2
Khandallah Masonic Hall 177 50
38
3
1
Ngaio School 46 43
11
0
1
Ngaio Kindergarten 115 64
32
2
0
Ngaio Town Hall 519 266
149
8
7
Union Church Hall 98 47
26
2
1
Ngaio Playcentre 90 43
15
0
0
Chartwell School 90 32
16
5
0
Wilton School 180 121
57
11
1
Wadestown School 78 44
27
2
0
St Luke's Hall 428 235
172
18
0
Thorndon Masonic Hall 125 75
51
8
0
Talavera Tennis Club 33
35 11
3
0
St Andrew's Hall 105 63
32
2
0
Victoria University 95
116 46
12
1
Kelburn Church Hall 300 271
161
20
2
Kelburn Normal School 82 76
40
2
1
Presbyterian Church Hall 57 55
29
2
1
Methodist Church Hall 218 143
103
8
5
Northland School 132 108
52
6
1
Coad's Garage 110 47
24
1
2
Karori Masonic Hall 140 70
46
4
0
Sprott House 269 56
76
9
2
St Mary's Parish Hall 245 74
75
2
1
Karori School 643 174
178
10
1
St John's Methodist Hall 486 185
133
8
5
Karori Pavilion 176 80
80
7
1
Karori West School 407 202
150
7
2
Makara Community Centre 36 27
15
8
0
Macalister Park 94 58
25
3
0
Kingston School 67 23
14
0
0
Ridgeway School 144 86
49
7
0
Vogelmorn Public Hall 67 40
18
1
0
Brooklyn Baptist Hall 261 179
104
8
2
Brooklyn Community Centre 109 108
27
6
0
St Matthew's Hall 166 111
51
8
1
Aro Valley Community Hall 133
317 75
18
1
Webb St. Depot 127 118
39
7
0
Willis St. Clinic 84 73
25
3
0
St John's Church Hall 88
113 40
3
2
Wellington Cathedral 91
98 33
2
1
Wellington Girls' College 50
52 27
2
0
Queen Margaret College 106 42
29
2
0
Wesley Church Hall 35 33
19
2
1
Wellington Polytechnic 59
78 38
7
0
Samoan Assembly of God 121
184 41
7
6
Berhampore School 120
161 68
6
1
Island Bay Church Hall 306 184
88
21
2
Island Bay Surf Club 55 38
15
1
0
Island Bay School 170 115
51
13
1
St Hilda's Church Hall 298 135
69
10
5
Owhiro Bay School 73
76 24
3
2
Houghton Valley School 67 58
29
3
2
Church of the Transfiguration 62 59
41
4
1
Newtown Fire Station 84
141 30
4
5
Salvation Army Hall 169 157
48
6
1
Newtown School 195
312 83
11
9
Wellington Hospital 78
89 31
0
0
Southern Cross Scout Hall 55 37
11
3
1
Methodist Church Hall 143
156 51
6
1
Rongotai College 154 143
42
7
3
Maranui Surf Lifesaving Club 147 92
66
9
11
Lyall Bay School 198 99
59
10
5
St Giles' Hall 263 161
61
10
4
All Saints' Church Hall 107 37
12
1
1
Samoan Methodist Church Hall 339 190
124
21
8
Sea Cadet Hall 50 15
24
1
0
Haitaitai School 309 143
83
5
0
Roseneath Church Hall 92 37
36
4
0
St Barnabas Church Hall 143 76
47
1
4
Freyberg Pool 198 80
45
11
3
Central Fire Station 168 142
55
8
1
Congregational Church Hall 105
150 45
6
0
St Mark's Church Hall 98 57
35
3
1
Miramar South School 152 80
49
4
0
Miramar Central School 548 265
130
17
5
Miramar North School 126 90
44
4
0
Marist Brothers' School 271 113
78
9
3
Miramar Co-op. Hall 199 98
43
3
2
St Christopher's Hall 48
53 39
3
0
Strathmore Park School 324 159
69
5
1
Breaker Bay Progressive Assn. Hall 30 24
8
4
1
Seatoun School 438 89
73
9
0
St George's Hall 141 43
42
4
1
Worser Bay Life Saving Club 47 23
16
6
1
Worser Bay School 150 48
54
11
0
Town Hall 455 399
203
25
2
Postal votes 666 327
189
15
6
Hospital votes 124 99
21
6
8
Special votes 612 546
184
25
4
Total 19,952 11,876
6,208
643
177
Councillor results [ ] Table footnotes:
^ Harris was appointed to fill the vacancy on the council in 1985 caused by Leone Harkness' resignation
References [ ]
^ Moran, Paul (28 September 1983). "Clear Choices in main-ticket mayoralty race". The Dominion ^ Chetwin, Suzanne (24 May 1989). "Standing Alone". The Evening Post ^ a b Dawson, P.L. (25 October 1983). Declaration of Result of Election (Report). Wellington City Council . ^ a b "Local Body Polls '83". The Evening Post
Mayors
elected by councillors elected at large
Mayoral elections
Annual term Biennial term Triennial term
Local elections
† Elected unopposed
‡ By-election
