1956 Lower Hutt mayoral election

The 1956 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

1956 Lower Hutt mayoral election
17 November 1956
Turnout12,248 (43.43%)
 
Candidate Percy Dowse Will Giltrap
Party Labour Independent
Popular vote 8,378 3,782
Percentage 68.40 30.88
Mayor before election

Percy Dowse

 Elected Mayor

Percy Dowse

Background

The incumbent Mayor, Percy Dowse, sought re-election for a third term. Dowse was opposed by William Giltrap who stood as an independent candidate. Giltrap had been a Citizens' Association councillor from 1947 to 1950 and again from 1951 to 1953. At this election the Citizens' Association (whose tickets won no seats at the 1950 and 1953 elections) did not stand an official ticket of candidates. Instead Giltrap led a group of five other candidates (known cumulatively as the "Ratepayer Independents") against the Labour council ticket.[1]

Dowse campaigned on his record of development of the city. Labour's pledges were to build a new Town Hall and civic centre, preserve open spaces in northern suburbs (Naenae, Taita and Stokes Valley) for recreation, rebuilding the Melling bridge and improving street sealing in older suburbs of the city.[2] The Ratepayer Independents campaigned on individual freedom and non-partisanship. Election pledges included rates reduction, incentivising land subdivision for new housing, beautification of the Hutt River stop banks and improving road access to Wainuiomata.[3]

Labour won even more decisively than they had in the previous two elections. It won the mayoralty, a majority on the Hutt River Board along with all seats on the city council, power board, gas board, harbour board and hospital board. The only non-Labour seat was won by Giltrap who was elected to the river board.[4]

Mayoral results
1956 Lower Hutt mayoral election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Percy Dowse 8,378 68.40 +7.56
Independent Will Giltrap 3,782 30.88
Informal votes 88 0.71 +0.27
Majority 4,596 37.52 +15.20
Turnout 12,248 43.43 -9.13

Councillor results
1956 Lower Hutt City Council election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James McDonald 8,733 71.30 +13.84
Labour Sam Chesney 8,592 70.15 +11.77
Labour Trevor Young 8,581 70.06 +12.29
Labour John Davey 8,403 68.60 +14.60
Labour William Harvey 8,382 68.43
Labour Jessie Donald 8,370 68.33 +14.87
Labour Chen Werry 8,244 67.30 +13.59
Labour Wally Mildenhall 8,028 65.54
Labour William Mouat McLaren 8,001 65.32
Labour Bert Sutherland 7,992 65.25
Labour Walter Gordon Bugden 7,929 64.73 +12.49
Labour Alexander Murray 7,836 63.97 +10.34
Labour William Riley 7,331 59.85
Labour Clarence Fennell[nb 1] 7,312 59.69 +10.80
Labour Allan Patrick Ryan 7,201 58.79
Independent Alwin Atkinson 5,567 45.45 +7.49
Independent Will Giltrap 5,537 45.20 +2.11
Independent Cyril Phelps 5,297 43.24 +20.95
Independent Randall Owen George Slacke 5,173 42.23
Independent Amy Irene Wilson 4,858 39.66
Independent Lawry Richard Donovan 4,781 39.03

Table footnotes:

  1. Fennell resigned from the council in January 1959 and was replaced by Walter Fraser via an appointment.[7]

Notes
  1. "Two Candidates for Lower Hutt Mayoralty – Sitting Mayor and Independent Candidate". The Hutt News. 24 October 1956. p. 5.
  2. "Statement by Mayor – Labour Candidates Policy". The Hutt News. 31 October 1956. p. 5.
  3. "Independent Group – Non-Political Policy". The Hutt News. 31 October 1956. p. 5.
  4. "Solid Labour Vote in Hutt Valley". The Evening Post. 19 November 1956.
  5. "City of Lower Hutt - Election of Mayor". The Evening Post. 27 November 1956. p. 2.
  6. "City of Lower Hutt - Election of Fifteen Councillors". The Evening Post. 27 November 1956. p. 2.
  7. "A Resignation - Hutt City Council". Hutt News. 28 January 1959. p. 5.

References
  • Millar, David P. (1972). Once Upon a Village: A History of Lower Hutt 1819-1965. Lower Hutt: New Zealand University Press & LHCC. OCLC 154232923.
  • McGill, David (1991). Lower Hutt – The First Garden City. Petone, New Zealand: Lower Hutt City Council. ISBN 1-86956-003-5.
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