The Mayor of Grey, often referred to as the Mayor of Greymouth, officiates over the Grey District of New Zealand which is administered by the Grey District Council with its seat in Greymouth. The current Mayor is Tania Gibson. Two predecessors to this office were the Mayor of Greymouth, officiating over the Greymouth Borough Council from 1868, and from 1877 the chairman of the Grey County Council.

History edit

The Greymouth Borough was constituted in 1868 under the Municipal Corporations Act, 1867. This covered the urban area of Greymouth.[1]

After provincial government had been abolished in 1876, counties were formed in the following year. One of those was Grey County that covered an area around Greymouth.[2] The first chairman of Grey County was Arthur Guinness.[3]

Greymouth Borough and Grey County were abolished in the 1989 local government reforms, when the areas became part of Grey District. Since then, the head of the administration has been the mayor of Grey.

List of mayors and chairmen edit

Mayors of Greymouth Borough edit

The first elections were held in Greymouth Borough on 26 August 1868, when nine councillors were elected.[4] Even before the councillors met for the first time, it was discovered that the legislation required for three of them to retire by rotation on 10 September.[5][6][7] All three councillors stood for re-election,[8] but one of them was replaced by Edward Masters.[9] At the first meeting of the council in the following week, Masters was elected the first Mayor of Greymouth by his fellow councillors.[10][11]

Barry Dallas was mayor of Greymouth from 1966 to 1968, and from 1980 until the borough's abolition in 1989. He then became the inaugural mayor of the new Grey District.[12]

Name Portrait Term Notes
1 Edward Masters   1868–1870 [11]
2 Joseph Kilgour   1870 [13]
3 Edward Wickes 1871–1872 [13]
4 George Glen 1873 [13]
5 William Simpson Smith 1874 [13]
6 George William Moss   1875–1876 [13]First Ratepayer Election
7 Francis Hamilton   1877–1878 [13]
8 Richard Nancarrow 1879–1881 [13]
9 James Barkley 1882–1883 [13][14]
10 Fritz Carl Dupre 1884 [13]
11 John Griffiths Thomas 1885 [13]
8 Richard Nancarrow 1886 second period[13]
12 Joseph Petrie   1887–1888 [13]Mayor paid 100pounds annually. Last Borough to pay in NZ
13 John Mitchell 1889–1890 [13]
14 Andrew Matheson   1891–1892
15 William Robert Kettle   1893–1894 [13][15]
16 Frederick Barrington Waters 1894 [14]
17 Felix Campbell 1894–1895 [13][16]
18 Jacob Theodore Skoglund   1896–1898 [13]
14 Andrew Matheson   1899–1903 second period
19 Jesse Steer   1903–1904 [13][17]
20 James Andrew Petrie 1904–1907 [17][18]
12 Joseph Petrie   1907–1908 second period[18][19]
21 Thomas Coates 1908–1910 [20][21]
22 Alfred Charles Russell 1910–1912 [21][22]
23 George Edward Perkins 1912–1917 [22][23]
24 James Daniel Lynch   1917–1923 [14][24]
25 William Henry Parfitt 1923–1927 [14]
26 John Webber Greenslade 1927–1935 [25] 9 years service
27 William Meldrum   1935–1938 [26]
28 Fred Kitchingham   1938–1947 [27] 9 years service
29 Fred Boustridge 1947–1950
30 Frederick Lovell Turley 1950–1953
31 Frederick William Baillie 1954–1965 [14][28] 12 years service
32 Barry Dallas 1965–1968
33 Ossie Jackson 1968–1980 12 years service
32 Barry Dallas 1980–1989 second period

Chairmen of the Grey County edit

 
Grey County chairmen
Name Term Notes
1 Arthur Guinness 1877–1884
2 John Mangan Clifford 1885 [29]
3 John Warren 1886 [30]
1 Arthur Guinness 1887 2nd period
4 Denis Ryall 1888 [31]
5 James Marshall 1889
6 Patrick Foley 1890 [32]
7 William McKechnie 1891 [33]
8 J. McCarthy 1892
9 Michael Hannan 1893
10 R. Larkin 1894
11 James Finn 1895 [30]
12 James Hargreaves 1896 [30]
13 S. R. Harris 1897
8 J. McCarthy 1898 2nd period
9 Michael Hannan 1899 2nd period
5 James Marshall 1900 2nd period
7 William McKechnie 1901 2nd period
4 Denis Ryall 1902 2nd period
10 R. Larkin 1903 2nd period
11 James Finn 1904 2nd period
12 James Hargreaves 1905 2nd period
13 S. R. Harris 1906 2nd period
8 J. McCarthy 1907 3rd period
9 Michael Hannan 1908 3rd period
5 James Marshall 1909 3rd period
14 John Tindale 1910 [30]
15 John Ryall 1911 [30]
10 R. Larkin 1912 3rd period
9 Michael Hannan 1913 4th period
8 J. McCarthy 1914 4th period
16 P. Ryder 1915
15 John Ryall 1916 2nd period
9 Michael Hannan 1917 5th period
8 J. McCarthy 1918 5th period
17 D. Baybutt 1919
18 J. P. Irvine 1920
19 A. Blair 1921
8 J. McCarthy 1921 6th period
20 Jack Hannan 1922–1923
21 P. Donnellan 1924
20 Jack Hannan 1925 2nd period
17 D. Baybutt 1926 2nd period
15 John Ryall 1927 3rd period
22 A. Robinson 1928
20 Jack Hannan 1929 3rd period
23 W. T. Ogilvie 1930
15 John Ryall 1931 4th period
20 Jack Hannan 1932 4th period
24 G. Blair 1933
25 J. Mulcare 1934
20 Jack Hannan 1935 5th period
15 John Ryall 1936 5th period
20 Jack Hannan 1937–1938 6th period
15 John Ryall 1939 6th period
20 Jack Hannan 1940 7th period
26 H. G. Carter 1941
25 J. Mulcare 1942 2nd period
27 W. Fisher 1943
28 R. Clark 1944
15 John Ryall 1945 7th period
20 Jack Hannan 1946–1947 8th period
29 J. Ryan 1948
25 J. Mulcare 1949 3rd period
20 Jack Hannan 1950 9th period
28 R. Clark 1951 2nd period
30 T. G. Jamieson 1952
15 John Ryall 1953 8th period; died 26 May 1953
31 J. Clayton 1953–1954
29 J. Ryan 1955 2nd period
32 D. J. Ryall 1956
33 M. K. Molloy 1957
34 J. Shields 1958
31 J. Clayton 1959 2nd period
35 D. R. Gibbens 1960
32 D. J. Ryall 1961 2nd period
36 A. D. Kennedy 1962
33 M. K. Molloy 1963 2nd period
35 D. R. Gibbens 1964 2nd period
37 R. Aynsley 1965
31 J. Clayton 1966 3rd period
33 M. K. Molloy 1966 3rd period
38 B. Myer 1967
32 D. J. Ryall 1968–1970 3rd period
39 Doug Truman 1971–1978
40 C. H. McLellan 1979–1980
41 Bob Smithem 1981–1989

Mayors of Grey District edit

Name Portrait Term Notes
1 Barry Dallas 1989–1991 [34] 14 years service of Greymouth and Grey District
2 Ron Hibbs 1991–1998 [34]
3 Kevin Brown 1998–2004 [35]
4 Tony Kokshoorn   2004–2019 [35] 15 years service. Longest-serving mayor of Greymouth and Grey District
5 Tania Gibson   2019–present [35] Greymouth's first woman mayor

References edit

  1. ^ "Untitled". Grey River Argus. Vol. VI, no. 394. 23 July 1868. p. 2. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  2. ^ McLintock, A. H., ed. (23 April 2009) [First published in 1966]. "Westland Province and Provincial District". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  3. ^ Scholefield, Guy, ed. (1940). A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : A–L (PDF). Vol. I. Wellington: Department of Internal Affairs. pp. 335f. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  4. ^ "West Coast Times". West Coast Times. No. 915. 28 August 1868. p. 2. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  5. ^ McLintock, A. H., ed. (22 April 2009) [First published in 1966]. "Government – Local Government". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  6. ^ "Untitled". Grey River Argus. Vol. VI, no. 412. 3 September 1868. p. 2. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  7. ^ "Election Notice". Grey River Argus. Vol. VI, no. 414. 8 September 1868. p. 3. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Election Notice". Grey River Argus. Vol. VI, no. 415. 10 September 1868. p. 3. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  9. ^ "Election Notice". Grey River Argus. Vol. VI, no. 416. 12 September 1868. p. 3. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  10. ^ "Borough Council". Grey River Argus. Vol. VI, no. 418. 17 September 1868. p. 2. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  11. ^ a b Cyclopedia Company Limited (1906). "Greymouth Corporation". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  12. ^ "Photograph: Barry Dallas". West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Cyclopedia Company Limited (1906). "Ex-mayors". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  14. ^ a b c d e Buckley, Frances (2003). "Greymouth street names: a short history". Grey District Library. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  15. ^ "Mr. William R. Kettle". Auckland Star. 24 November 1928. p. 15. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  16. ^ "The mayoral election". Grey River Argus. 20 November 1894. p. 2. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  17. ^ a b "Mayoral election". Grey River Argus. 28 April 1904. p. 3. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  18. ^ a b "Untitled". West Coast Times. 1 May 1907. p. 2. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  19. ^ "Obituary". Grey River Argus. 5 May 1908. p. 3. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  20. ^ "Borough Council". Grey River Argus. 9 May 1908. p. 3. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  21. ^ a b "Mayoral elections". Taranaki Daily News. 28 April 1910. p. 5. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  22. ^ a b "Mayoral installation". Grey River Argus. 2 May 1912. p. 3. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  23. ^ "Council expresses good-will". Grey River Argus. 20 April 1917. p. 3. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  24. ^ "Greymouth mayoralty". The Evening Post. 5 March 1923. p. 8. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  25. ^ "Former mayor honoured". The Press. 28 June 1935. p. 7. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  26. ^ Grover, Ray. "William Meldrum". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  27. ^ "Municipal elections". The Evening Post. 12 May 1938. p. 7. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  28. ^ "No. 42554". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1961. p. 40.
  29. ^ "Public Notices". Grey River Argus. Vol. XXXI, no. 5335. 2 November 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  30. ^ a b c d e "Grey County Council". Grey River Argus. 27 November 1914. p. 8. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  31. ^ "United Press Association". The Evening Post. Vol. XXXIV, no. 125. 24 November 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  32. ^ "Government Notifications". West Coast Times. No. 2416. 26 December 1876. p. 1. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  33. ^ "To His Royal Highness the Duke of York". Grey River Argus. Vol. LVII, no. 10520. 14 June 1901. p. 2. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  34. ^ a b O'Connor, Sarah-Jane (11 July 2015). "Obituary: ex-Grey Mayor Ronald Hibbs". The Press. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  35. ^ a b c "Miners' mayor". The Press. 27 November 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2015.