1901 Wellington City Council election

July 2025July 2025 1901 Wellington City Council election New Zealand File:Wellington coat of arms (1878-1951) (shield only).svg 1900 Wellington City Council election 1900 1902 Wellington City Council election 1902 24 April 1901 8,533 (82.24%) yes Mayoral election File:John Aitken 1902-1908 (cropped).jpg John Aitken Independent 5,801 67.98 File:Thomas Wilford 1909 (cropped).jpg Thomas Wilford Independent Liberal 2,732 32.02 Mayor John Aitken Independent John Aitken Independent yes yes yes Council election 12 seats on the Wellington City Council 7 Ratepayers / Progressive no WMPA/WRA 6 Progressive no Municipal Progressive Association 3 Ratepayers no Wellington Ratepayers' Association 2 Independent Labour / Progressive no Pre 1916 Labour (New Zealand) 1 The 1901 Wellington City Council election was a local election held on 24 April in Wellington, New Zealand as part of that year's nation-wide local elections. Voters elected the mayor of Wellington for a one-year term and 15 city councillors for a two-year term. In person voting and the first-past-the-post voting system were used. Background Electoral reforms were implemented in 1901, which extended the municipal term for councillors to biennial terms and saw the abolition of the ward system, implementing the process of electing councillors at large instead.1900 Municipal Corporations Act 1900 http://www.nzlii.org/nz/legis/hist_act/mca190064v1900n50338/ 17 July 2023 New Zealand ParliamentBetts 1970 39 Ticket voting began in the city, bringing political competition in civic affairs with electors voting en bloc.Betts 1970 35 A Ratepayers' Association was founded in 1899 opposing several of the then mayor, John Rutherfurd Blair, policies. Initially more of a pressure group, the association grew into a municipal ticket that claimed "The advancing of public enterprise likely to be for the public benefit" as it core policy belief. It was not wholly opposed to change but it favoured caution and defend the interests of the ratepayer in the new electoral environment in which the franchise had been widened. In 1901, a rival organisation, the Wellington Municipal Progressive Association, was established. It supported a more active policy for the city and promoted the interests of newly enfranchised voters.Betts 1970 96 Both tickets interest-group activities were insufficient to maintain them outside of an election period. By 1902 both had largely faded away.Betts 1970 97 Candidates Wellington Ratepayers' Association The Wellington Ratepayers' Associations endorsed 12 candidates, including William Henry Peter Barber, Frederick Bolton, Paul Coffey, Robert Davenport, James Devine, James Godber, John Luke, Matthew Murdoch, David Nathan, Allan Orr, John Smith Jr., and George Winder. Municipal Progressive Association The Municipal Progressive Association endorsed the incumbent mayor John Aitken for re-election, as well as 12 candidates for council. These included William Henry Peter Barber, William Evans, James Godber, Alfred Hindmarsh, Charlie Izard, John Luke, Matthew Murdoch, Robert McKenzie, David McLaren, Robert Tolhurst, John Smith Jr., and George Winder. Independent Labour Candidates with connections to the organised labour and trade union movement included David McLaren, Robert McKenzie, Allan Orr, Paul Coffey, Edmond Carrigan, and Alfred Hindmarsh. Results The results of the election were:27 April 1901 Wellington City Council http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZFL19010427.2.13.2 11 March 2016 The Free Lance 11 I 4323 April 1901 City Council Election http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19010423.2.54.6 12 August 2016 The Evening Post 6 LXI 9417 April 1901 Municipal Elections https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM19010417.2.50 New Zealand Times 7 71 43332 April 1901 The Municipal Elections https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM19010402.2.40 New Zealand Times 5 71 432125 April 1901 The City Elections https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19010425.2.26 Evening Post 4 61 9611 April 1901 The Trades Council and the Mayoralty https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19010411.2.36 Evening Post 5 61 84 1901 Wellington City Council election Wellington Ratepayers' Association David Nathan 5,847 86.51 Wellington Ratepayers' Association Municipal Progressive Association John Luke 5,316 78.66 Wellington Ratepayers' Association Municipal Progressive Association William Barber 5,170 76.50 Municipal Progressive Association William Evans 5,074 75.08 Wellington Ratepayers' Association Municipal Progressive Association George Winder 5,056 74.81 Wellington Ratepayers' Association Municipal Progressive Association Matthew Murdoch 4,424 65.46 Wellington Ratepayers' Association Municipal Progressive Association John Smith Jr. 4,315 63.85 Wellington Ratepayers' Association James Devine 4,127 61.06 Municipal Progressive Association Charlie Izard 3,908 57.82 Wellington Ratepayers' Association Municipal Progressive Association James Godber 3,744 55.40 Municipal Progressive Association Robert Tolhurst 3,640 53.86 Pre 1916 Labour (New Zealand) Municipal Progressive Association David McLaren 3,210 47.49 Pre 1916 Labour (New Zealand) Municipal Progressive Association Robert McKenzie 3,035 44.90 Independent politician Frederic Townsend 2,955 43.72 Independent politician George Anderson 2,755 40.76 Pre 1916 Labour (New Zealand) Wellington Ratepayers' Association Allan Orr 2,699 39.93 Pre 1916 Labour (New Zealand) Wellington Ratepayers' Association Paul Coffey 2,491 36.86 Wellington Ratepayers' Association Robert Davenport 2,236 33.08 Wellington Ratepayers' Association Frederick Bolton 2,189 32.39 Independent politician Henry Fielder 2,084 30.83 Pre 1916 Labour (New Zealand) Edmond Carrigan 2,033 30.08 Pre 1916 Labour (New Zealand) Municipal Progressive Association Alfred Hindmarsh 2,028 30.00 Independent politician Alexander Rand 1,464 21.66 Independent politician Alexander Wilson 1,299 19.22 8,533 10,376 References Betts George George Betts (political scientist) Betts on Wellington: A City and its Politics 1970 A. H. & A. W. Reed Ltd. Wellington 0 589 00469 7 Citations Category:Wellington City Council elections Category:1901 New Zealand local elections