1947 Wellington City mayoral election

The 1947 Wellington City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1947, election 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.

1947 Wellington City mayoral election
19 November 1947
Turnout49,842 (50.63%)
 
Candidate Will Appleton Nathan Seddon
Party Citizens' Labour
Popular vote 27,000 22,444
Percentage 54.17 45.04
Mayor before election

Will Appleton

 Elected Mayor

Will Appleton

Background

The Citizens' Association reselected the incumbent mayor Will Appleton. He had been mayor for three years and a councillor for thirteen years prior. He had been chairman of the works committee since 1933. All eleven Citizens' councillors who were not retiring were reselected.[1]

The Labour Party almost decided not to contest the mayoralty. When the Wellington Labour Representation Committee met to discuss the municipal elections a motion to put up a mayoral candidate was carried by only thirty-seven votes to thirty-five.[2] Ultimately it selected Newtown businessman Nathan Richard Seddon as its candidate.[3] He was the Chairman of the Wellington Education Board and a grand nephew of Richard Seddon, a former Prime Minister of New Zealand.[4]

Mayoralty results
1947 Wellington mayoral election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens' Will Appleton 27,000 54.17 -4.63
Labour Nathan Seddon 22,444 45.04
Informal votes 398 0.79 -0.42
Majority 4,556 9.14 -9.69
Turnout 49,842 50.63 -8.24

Councillor results
1947 Wellington City Council election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens' Elizabeth Gilmer 30,258 60.70 +1.34
Citizens' Robert Macalister 27,455 55.08 +1.03
Citizens' Charles Treadwell 27,361 54.89
Citizens' Frederick Furkert 25,947 52.05 -1.89
Citizens' Malcolm Galloway 25,795 51.75 -1.28
Citizens' Ernest Toop 25,764 51.69 +0.99
Citizens' Len Jacobsen 25,743 51.64 +1.62
Citizens' Stewart Hardy 25,604 51.37
Citizens' Sandy Pope 25,386 50.93 +1.02
Citizens' Harry Nankervis 24,979 50.11
Citizens' William Stevens 24,782 49.72 +1.51
Citizens' Denis McGrath 24,477 49.10
Citizens' Archibald Richardson 23,438 47.02
Citizens' William Birthwhistle 23,256 46.65
Citizens' Jack Living 22,960 46.06
Labour Eugene Casey 20,521 41.17
Labour John Churchill 19,885 39.89 +1.39
Labour John Fleming 19,225 38.57 +2.65
Labour James Roberts 19,209 38.53
Labour Jack Arthurs 18,694 37.50 +3.25
Labour Ethel Harris 18,045 36.20 +3.93
Labour Phil Holloway 17,763 35.63
Labour William Sadd 17,728 35.56
Labour William Wilson 17,544 35.19
Labour Henry Lees 17,438 34.98
Labour Percival Hansen 17,413 34.93 -1.49
Labour Edward Williams 17,223 34.55
Labour Frank O'Flynn 16,969 34.04
Labour Albert Wathey 16,548 33.20
Communist Connie Birchfield 6,672 13.38
Communist Peter McAra 4,708 9.44

Notes
  1. "Citizens' Ticket - Municipal Elections". The Evening Post. 8 September 1947.
  2. Betts 1970, p. 146.
  3. "Labour Ticket For Wellington". Northern Advocate. 19 July 1947. p. 7.
  4. "Death of Mr N. R. Seddon". Otago Daily Times. No. 27404. 1 May 1950. p. 8.
  5. Norrie, J (1 December 1947). Declaration of Election Results (Report). Wellington City Council.

References
  • Betts, George (1970). Betts on Wellington: A City and its Politics. Wellington: A. H. & A. W. Reed Ltd. ISBN 0 589 00469 7.


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