The Mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of Wellington

Wellington

Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, and presides over the Wellington City Council. The Mayor of Wellington administers only Wellington City itself — other municipalities in adjacent areas of the Wellington Region

Wellington Region

The Wellington region of New Zealand occupies the southern end of the North Island.-Governance:The official Wellington Region, as administered by the Wellington Regional Council covers the conurbation around the capital city, Wellington, and the cities of Lower Hutt, Porirua, and Upper Hutt, each...

 such as Lower Hutt

Lower Hutt

Lower Hutt is a city in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Its council has adopted the name Hutt City Council, but neither the New Zealand Geographic Board nor the Local Government Act recognise the name Hutt City. This alternative name can lead to confusion, as there are two cities in the...

, Upper Hutt

Upper Hutt

Upper Hutt is a satellite city of Wellington. It is New Zealand's smallest city by population, the second largest by land area. It is in Greater Wellington.-Geography:Upper Hutt is 30 km north-east of Wellington...

, and Porirua

Porirua

Porirua is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, immediately north of the city of Wellington, with their central business districts 20 km apart. A large proportion of the population commutes to Wellington, so it may be considered a satellite city. It almost completely surrounds...

 have their own mayors. The Mayor is directly elected using Instant Runoff Voting.

The current Mayor is Celia Wade-Brown

Celia Wade-Brown

Celia Wade-Brown is the 34th and current Mayor of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. She is the third woman to fill that role, replacing centre-right Kerry Prendergast. She is the second Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand mayor of a major New Zealand city, after Dunedin's Sukhi Turner...

.

History

The development of local government in Wellington was erratic. The first attempt to establish governmental institutions, the so-called "Wellington Republic", was short-lived and based on rules written by the New Zealand Company

New Zealand Company

The New Zealand Company originated in London in 1837 as the New Zealand Association with the aim of promoting the "systematic" colonisation of New Zealand. The association, and later the company, intended to follow the colonising principles of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who envisaged the creation of...

. Colonel William Wakefield

William Wakefield

William Hayward Wakefield was an English colonel, the leader of the first colonizing expedition to New Zealand and one of the founders of Wellington. In 1826, he married Emily Sidney, a daughter of Sir John Sidney.-Early life:...

 was to be the first President.

But when the self-proclaimed government arrested a ship's captain for a violation of Wellington law, the Governor

Governor-General of New Zealand

The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....

 William Hobson

William Hobson

Captain William Hobson RN was the first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi.-Early life:...

 quickly asserted British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 sovereignty over the whole of New Zealand, sending a contingent of soldiers to disband the Council in Wellington.

In January 1842 the Legislative Council in Auckland passed the Municipal Corporations Ordinance, and in May 1842 Wellington was officially proclaimed a borough

Borough

A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....

, the first municipality in the country to be given this status. The office of mayor was established, but there were only two holders of this office under the Ordinance.

George Hunter

George Hunter (mayor)

George Hunter was the first Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand in 1842–43.Born in Banffshire, Scotland he came to Wellington in the ship Duke of Roxburgh in 1840, with his wife, six daughters and four sons...

 received the most votes in the election for twelve Burgesses to the new Borough Council on 3 October 1842 and was declared mayor. He died suddenly on 19 July 1843.

William Guyton

William Guyton

William Guyton was the second Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand in 1843 after the death of George Hunter until the Borough was abolished by the British Government, and he had the job of winding up the borough’s affairs....

 was then declared mayor, as he was runner-up for the number of votes in 1842.

The British Government however disallowed the Municipal Corporations Ordinance. News of this decision did not reach Wellington until late September 1843, after one election had been held and a second Burgess Roll of qualified voters had been prepared in 1843 (both Rolls are listed in Carman).

After a brief period of little local government, the Province of Wellington

Wellington Province

The Wellington Province was a province of New Zealand until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-Area:...

 was established in 1852, and most of Wellington's affairs were handled by the provincial government.

In 1863 a Town Board was established. Wellington had three Wards (Thorndon, Lambton, Te Aro), but no Mayor.

On 16 September 1870, Wellington was officially incorporated as a city, and a new mayoralty created. This is the same office that survives today. The establishment of this new government was primarily driven by John Plimmer

John Plimmer

John Plimmer has been called the Father of Wellington.He was a member of the Wellington Provincial Council from 1856 to 1857, the first Wellington Town Board and was on the Wellington City Council from 1870 to 1871....

, called by some the Father of Wellington.

Since the modern office of Mayor was established, it has been held by 34 people. Five people have been Mayor on two separate occasions. The longest-serving Mayor was Sir Frank Kitts

Frank Kitts

Sir Francis "Frank" Joseph Kitts was the longest-serving Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand, having held the post from 1956 to 1974. He was the Labour Member of Parliament for Wellington Central from 1954 to 1960, when he was defeated by the National candidate Dan Riddiford.Kitts was on the...

, from 1956 to 1974.

List of Mayors of Wellington

#	Name	Term
a	George Hunter George Hunter (mayor) George Hunter was the first Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand in 1842–43.Born in Banffshire, Scotland he came to Wellington in the ship Duke of Roxburgh in 1840, with his wife, six daughters and four sons...	1842–1843
b	William Guyton William Guyton William Guyton was the second Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand in 1843 after the death of George Hunter until the Borough was abolished by the British Government, and he had the job of winding up the borough’s affairs....	1843
1	Joseph Dransfield Joseph Dransfield Joseph Dransfield was the first Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand in 1870 after Wellington was declared a city. He was Mayor again in 1878. He had previously been Chairman of the Town Board until 1870, and represented Wellington City in the Wellington Provincial Council from 1863 to 1867.He was...	1870–1873
2	Charles Borlase Charles Borlase Charles Bonython Borlase was Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand in 1874. He had been a member of the first Town Board in 1863, and a Councillor to 1874.He represented Wairarapa on the Wellington Provincial Council from 1857 to 1858...	1874
3	William Sefton Moorhouse William Sefton Moorhouse William Sefton Moorhouse was a New Zealand politician. He was the second Superintendent of Canterbury Province.-Early life:...	1875
4	William Hutchison	1876–1877
	Joseph Dransfield Joseph Dransfield Joseph Dransfield was the first Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand in 1870 after Wellington was declared a city. He was Mayor again in 1878. He had previously been Chairman of the Town Board until 1870, and represented Wellington City in the Wellington Provincial Council from 1863 to 1867.He was... , 2nd time	1878–1879
5	George Allen George Allen (New Zealand) George Allen was Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand for three weeks in 1879. He was a Councillor from 1876 to 1883, and again from 1887 to 1888.He was a member of the Wellington Provincial Council from 1861 to 1865....	1879
	William Hutchison, 2nd time	1879–1881
6	George Fisher George Fisher (New Zealand) George Fisher was a four-time Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1882 to 1885, and in 1896. He represented various Wellington electorates in Parliament for a total of 18 years...	1882–1885
7	Arthur Winton Brown Arthur Winton Brown Arthur Winton Brown was the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand in 1886 and 1890.He was a Wellington City Councillor from 1881 to 1885 and 1888 to 1890.He was born in Port Chalmers...	1886
8	Samuel Brown Samuel Brown (mayor) Samuel Brown was the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1887 to 1888.He was a Wellington City Councillor from 1879 to 1885, and on the Wellington Harbour Board, the Wellington College Board of Governors and the Industrial Association which promoted the Industrial Exhibition of 1896.He was born...	1887–1888
9	John Duthie John Duthie (New Zealand) John Duthie was a politician and businessman in New Zealand. Originally from Scotland, he came to Auckland in 1863. He set up his own ironmongery in New Plymouth, then Wanganui, and he finally settled in Wellington. In the latter city, he was mayor for one term. He then represented Wellington in...	1889
10	Charles Johnston Charles John Johnston Charles John Johnston was the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand in 1890, the Jubilee year.He represented the Te Aro electorate from 1881 to 1887, when he resigned. He was a member of the Legislative Council from 1891 to 1918, and the Speaker from 1915 to 1918.He was born 11 October 1845 in...	1890
	Arthur Winton Brown Arthur Winton Brown Arthur Winton Brown was the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand in 1886 and 1890.He was a Wellington City Councillor from 1881 to 1885 and 1888 to 1890.He was born in Port Chalmers... , 2nd time	1891
11	Francis Bell	1892–1893
12	Alfred Brandon Alfred Brandon (mayor) Alfred de Bathe Brandon was the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1893 to 1894. He had been a Wellington City Councillor from 1886 to 1891.He was a barrister, and a son of Member of Parliament Alfred Brandon...	1894
13	Charles Luke Charles Luke Sir Charles Manley Luke was Mayor of Wellington in 1895. His brother Sir John Luke was later Mayor of Wellington from 1913–1921....	1895
	George Fisher George Fisher (New Zealand) George Fisher was a four-time Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1882 to 1885, and in 1896. He represented various Wellington electorates in Parliament for a total of 18 years... , 2nd time	1896
	Francis Bell, 2nd time	1897
14	John Blair John Rutherford Blair John Rutherford Blair was the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1898 to 1899.He was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, and was a paper merchant...	1898–1899
15	John Aitken John Aitken (Mayor of Wellington) John Guthrie Wood Aitken was the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1900 to 1904.He represented the City of Wellington electorate from 1902 to 1905, and then the Wellington East electorate from 1905 to 1908, when he retired....	1900–1904
16	Thomas William Hislop Thomas William Hislop Thomas William Hislop was the Mayor of Wellington from 1905 to 1908, and had represented two South Island electorates in the New Zealand Parliament.-Early life:...	1905–1908
17	Alfred Newman Alfred Newman (New Zealand) Alfred Kingcome Newman was the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand in 1909, and a Wellington City Councillor from 1881 to 1885.He was the Member of Parliament for Thorndon 1884-90, Hutt 1890-93, then Wellington Suburbs from 1893 to 1896 when he was defeated . Later he was MP for Wellington East, from...	1909
18	Thomas Mason Wilford Thomas Mason Wilford Sir Thomas Mason Wilford, KC was a New Zealand politician. He held the seats of Wellington Suburbs then Hutt continuously for thirty years, from 1899 to 1929...	1910–1911
19	David McLaren	1912
20	John Luke John Luke Sir John-Pearce Luke, CMG was a New Zealand politician. Luke was Mayor of Wellington from 1913–1921 and Member of Parliament for Wellington Suburbs 1908–1911 and Wellington North 1918–1928. His brother Charles Manley Luke had previously also been Mayor of Wellington in 1895...	1913–1921
21	Robert Wright Robert Alexander Wright Robert Alexander Wright was the Mayor of Wellington from 1921 to 1925, and a New Zealand politician of the Reform Party.He represented the Wellington South electorate in Parliament from 1908 to 1911 when he was defeated, then the Wellington Suburbs and Country electorate from 1914 to 1919 and the...	1921–1925
22	Charles Norwood Charles Norwood Sir Charles Norwood , full name Charles John Boyd Norwood, was the twenty-third Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1925 to 1927. He was a local businessman, civic leader, and founder Chairman of the Wellington Free Ambulance...	1925–1927
23	George Troup George Troup (architect) Sir George Alexander Troup, CMG was a New Zealand architect, engineer and statesman. He was nicknamed "Gingerbread George" after his most famous design, the Dunedin Railway Station in the Flemish Renaissance style . He was the first official architect of the New Zealand Railways...	1927–1931
24	Thomas Charles Atkinson Hislop Thomas Charles Atkinson Hislop Thomas Charles Atkinson Hislop was the Mayor of Wellington from 1931 to 1944.He was a Wellington City Councillor from 1913 to 1915, when he resigned to serve in the Wellington Regiment in World War I. He became a Councillor again from 1927 to 1931, and then Mayor from 1931 to 1945.He was the...	1931–1944
25	William Appleton William Appleton (mayor) Sir William Appleton was Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1944 to 1950, having been a city councillor from 1931 to 1944.He was a leader of the commercial community, and founder of an advertising agency.-References:...	1944–1950
26	Robert Macalister Robert Macalister Robert Lachlan Macalister was the Mayor of Wellington from 1950 to 1956, and had been the Acting Mayor for five months in 1948 during the absence overseas of William Appleton....	1950–1956
27	Frank Kitts Frank Kitts Sir Francis "Frank" Joseph Kitts was the longest-serving Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand, having held the post from 1956 to 1974. He was the Labour Member of Parliament for Wellington Central from 1954 to 1960, when he was defeated by the National candidate Dan Riddiford.Kitts was on the...	1956–1974
28	Michael Fowler	1974–1983
29	Ian Lawrence Ian Lawrence Ian Lawrence is a Wellington lawyer, and was the Mayor of Wellington from 1983 to 1986. He was educated at North Sydney Boys High School and University of Sydney. He was previously Chairman of the National Housing Commission....	1983–1986
30	James Belich James Belich (mayor) Sir James Belich was the Mayor of Wellington from 1986 to 1992. He was born in Awanui, Northland to parents of Croatian descent, and educated at Auckland University and Victoria University of Wellington....	1986–1992
31	Fran Wilde Fran Wilde The Honorable Fran Wilde QSO , is a New Zealand politician, and former Wellington Labour MP, Minister of Tourism and 31st Mayor of Wellington...	1992–1995
32	Mark Blumsky Mark Blumsky Mark Herbert Blumsky QSO is a New Zealand politician. He was Mayor of Wellington from 1995 to 2001, and Member of Parliament for the National Party from 2005 to 2008...	1995–2001
33	Kerry Prendergast Kerry Prendergast Kerry Leigh Prendergast, CNZM was the 33rd Mayor of Wellington . She was the second woman to serve as Mayor of Wellington, succeeding Mark Blumsky.-Before politics:...	2001–2010
34	Celia Wade-Brown Celia Wade-Brown Celia Wade-Brown is the 34th and current Mayor of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. She is the third woman to fill that role, replacing centre-right Kerry Prendergast. She is the second Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand mayor of a major New Zealand city, after Dunedin's Sukhi Turner...	2010 – present

External links

• Mayors of Wellington (with photos, from WCC Archives)