1959 Auckland City mayoral election

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

1959 Auckland City mayoral election
21 November 1959
Turnout37,161 (46.90%)
 
Candidate Dove-Myer Robinson Keith Buttle
Party Independent Citizens & Ratepayers
Popular vote 18,980 17,941
Percentage 51.07 48.27
Mayor before election

Keith Buttle

 Elected Mayor

Dove-Myer Robinson

Background

High profile councillor Dove-Myer Robinson defeated incumbent Mayor Keith Buttle of the Citizens & Ratepayers ticket, who had not been opposed by Robinson and his United Independent colleagues in the 1957 contest. Campaigning as "Robbie", Robinson campaigned on an independent and populist platform.[1] He charged Buttle with lethargy and the Citizens & Ratepayers councillors as being out of touch with Aucklanders and taking power for granted. Media coverage (both the Auckland Star and New Zealand Herald openly endorsing Buttle) cemented Robinson's image as an outsider battling the politics of vested interest, hallmarks that would define Robinson's style of campaigning and leadership for the rest of his life. The United Independents electoral ticket had merged with the Labour Party to campaign together under the Civic Reform banner and informally supported Robinson for the mayoralty.[2]

Mayoralty results
1959 Auckland mayoral election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Dove-Myer Robinson 18,980 51.07
Citizens & Ratepayers Keith Buttle 17,941 48.27 -7.63
Informal votes 240 0.64 +0.54
Majority 1,039 2.79
Turnout 37,161 46.90

Councillor results
1959 Auckland local election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Civic Reform Eric Armishaw 19,762 53.17 +19.22
Civic Reform Ken Cumberland 19,335 52.03 +18.94
Civic Reform Alfred Shone 18,961 51.02
Citizens & Ratepayers Tom Bloodworth 18,240 49.08 +11.24
Citizens & Ratepayers Winifred Delugar 17,840 48.00 +9.88
Citizens & Ratepayers Max Tongue 17,722 47.68 +14.61
Citizens & Ratepayers Reg Savory 17,667 47.54 +11.79
Citizens & Ratepayers Fred Ambler 17,335 46.64 +7.79
Civic Reform Mary Dreaver 16,658 44.82 +1.78
Civic Reform Alex Dreaver 16,582 44.62 +7.78
Citizens & Ratepayers Bob Beechey 16,498 44.39
Citizens & Ratepayers John Dale 16,434 44.22 +13.19
Citizens & Ratepayers Geoffrey Myers 16,300 43.86 -12.63
Civic Reform George Forsyth 16,160 43.48 +9.07
Citizens & Ratepayers Fred Glasse 16,077 43.26 -12.03
Citizens & Ratepayers Charlie Passmore 15,639 42.08
Civic Reform James Neil Bradley 15,574 41.90 +4.27
Citizens & Ratepayers George Russell Tutt 15,552 41.85
Citizens & Ratepayers Harold Watts 15,443 41.55 +18.00
Citizens & Ratepayers Fred de Malmanche 15,296 41.16
Citizens & Ratepayers Harold Parkinson 15,165 40.80
Citizens & Ratepayers Norman Speer 14,924 40.16
Civic Reform Marion Kirk 14,691 39.53
Civic Reform Graeme Eric Booth 14,690 39.53
Citizens & Ratepayers Rex Keith Blows 14,637 39.38
Citizens & Ratepayers Eric Percy Salmon 14,475 38.95
Citizens & Ratepayers David George Falconer 14,419 38.80
Civic Reform Lionel Albert 14,242 38.32 +19.55
Civic Reform Charles Belton 13,885 37.36
Civic Reform Glassford Glover Walter Gray 13,544 36.44 +18.41
Civic Reform John Northey 13,542 36.44 -15.37
Citizens & Ratepayers Frank Sydney Bertrand 13,438 36.16
Citizens & Ratepayers John Procter Wildman 13,429 36.13
Citizens & Ratepayers Harold Valentine Long 13,256 35.67
Civic Reform Frederick Johnston 13,091 35.22 +5.81
Civic Reform Howard Jeffereys 12,576 33.84
Civic Reform Norman Finch 12,549 33.76 +6.48
Civic Reform Isabella Stancliff 12,523 33.69 +2.61
Civic Reform Irene Margaret Offen 12,387 33.33
Civic Reform John Percival Eastmure 12,384 33.32
Civic Reform Robert Elsender 11,907 32.04
Civic Reform Dave Isbey 11,242 30.25
Independent Roy Turner 5,069 13.64
Independent Charles Fisher 4,139 11.13 -10.29
Independent Agnes Helen Dodd 3,632 9.77 -20.63
Communist Bill Andersen 3,456 9.30 +4.28
Communist George Jackson 3,384 9.10
Communist Donald McEwan 2,888 7.77 +3.06
Independent Albert Charles Marks 2,812 7.56
Communist Dick Wolf 2,139 5.75
Communist Ella Ayo 2,128 5.72
Communist Peter McAra 1,544 4.15

Notes
  1. Edgar, John. "Robinson, Dove-Myer". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  2. Edgar 2012.
  3. "Declaration of Result of Poll". The New Zealand Herald. 2 December 1959. p. 8.
  4. "Declaration of Result of Poll". The New Zealand Herald. 5 December 1959. p. 31.

References
  • Edgar, John (2012). Urban Legend: Sir Dove-Meyer Robinson. Hodder Moa.
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