1959 Lower Hutt mayoral election

The 1959 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.

1959 Lower Hutt mayoral election
17 November 1959
Turnout12,182 (38.82%)
 
Candidate Percy Dowse George Wain
Party Labour Independent
Popular vote 7,372 4,501
Percentage 60.51 36.94
Mayor before election

Percy Dowse

 Elected Mayor

Percy Dowse

Background

The incumbent Mayor, Percy Dowse, sought re-election for a fourth term. Dowse was opposed by George Wain who stood as an independent candidate. Dowse received a swing against the majority he won in 1956 against former councillor Will Giltrap. This confounded expectations as Wain had no previous civic experience and had only lived in the area for a few years. Just as in the previous election the Citizens' Association (whose tickets won no seats at the 1950 and 1953 elections) did not stand an official ticket of candidates and endorsed a slate of 10 independents while also recommending five of the sitting Labour councillors for re-election. The Ratepayer Independents polled far better than expected with nine of its candidates being elected and only six Labour councillors were re-elected (five of whom were endorsed by the Ratepayer Independents). Sam Chesney was the only Labour councillor elected without their endorsement.[1] The main talking point in the election was the council's finances. The Citizens' Association criticised Dowse and challenged him to resign over a ₤75,000 loan for the second stage of the Maungaraki development. Concern over debt cut into Dowse's majority and helped the Ratepayer Independents win so many seats.[2]

The overall anti-Labour vote (which was consistent nationwide) was attributed to the unpopularity of the then Labour government.[3] Prime Minister Walter Nash (whose parliamentary seat encompassed Lower Hutt City) commented simply "We seem to have held the mayoralties" in reference that in Lower Hutt, Wellington and Christchurch Labour mayors were re-elected despite voters electing majority centre-right councils.[4]

Mayoral results
1959 Lower Hutt mayoral election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Percy Dowse 7,372 60.51 -7.89
Independent George Wain 4,501 36.94
Informal votes 309 2.53 +2.26
Majority 2,871 23.56 -13.96
Turnout 12,182 38.82 -4.61

Councillor results
1959 Lower Hutt City Council election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Trevor Young 8,582 70.44 +0.38
Labour James McDonald 8,425 69.15 -2.15
Labour Chen Werry 8,250 67.72 +0.42
Labour Jessie Donald 8,202 67.32 -1.01
Labour Walter Gordon Bugden 7,878 64.66 -0.07
Independent George Barker 7,439 61.06
Independent Alwin Atkinson 7,240 59.43 +13.98
Independent Cyril Phelps 6,896 56.60 +13.36
Independent Isaac Richard Robinson 6,778 55.63
Labour Sam Chesney 6,550 53.76 -16.39
Independent Donald Marshall Wilson 6,507 53.41
Independent Keith Lewis Thomas 6,415 52.65
Independent Dave Hadley 6,317 51.85
Independent William Davidson Smith 6,217 51.03
Independent Ray Torrie 6,182 50.74
Labour Wally Mildenhall 6,117 49.81 -15.73
Labour Walter Fraser 5,915 48.55
Independent George Francis Oliver Thomson 5,894 48.38
Labour Alexander Murray 5,842 47.95 -16.02
Labour Bert Sutherland 5,807 47.66 -17.59
Labour William John Jarvis 5,660 46.46
Labour William Mouat McLaren 5,652 46.39 -18.93
Labour Allan Patrick Ryan 5,219 42.84 -15.95
Labour Joseph Stanislaus O'Brien 5,014 41.15
Labour William Riley 4,902 40.23 -19.62

Notes
  1. "Independents Under Labour Mayors at Hutt and Petone". The Evening Post. 23 November 1959. p. 10.
  2. McGill 1991, pp. 171.
  3. "Anti-Labour Trend Was General". The Evening Post. 23 November 1959. p. 10.
  4. "Have Held the Mayoralties---P.M.". The Evening Post. 23 November 1959. p. 10.
  5. "City of Lower Hutt - Election of Mayor". The Evening Post. 1 December 1959. p. 2.
  6. "City of Lower Hutt - Election of Fifteen Councillors". The Evening Post. 1 December 1959. p. 2.

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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