User:Schwede66/mayors/Charles Mathew Gray

Charles Gray

MP
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Christchurch North
In office
1905–1908
Preceded bynew electorate
Succeeded byTommy Taylor
17th Mayor of Christchurch
In office
1891–1892
Preceded bySamuel Manning
Succeeded byWilliam Prudhoe
In office
1904–1905
Preceded byHenry Wigram
Succeeded byJohn Hall
Personal details
Born1853
Geelong
Died11 June 1918
Christchurch
Nationality New Zealand

Charles Mathew Gray (1853 – 11 June 1918) was a New Zealand Independent Member of Parliament for Christchurch North, and Mayor of Christchurch.

Early life

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Charles Gray was born in Geelong, Victoria, in Australia and came to New Zealand in 1862.

Local body politics

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Gray was elected to the Christchurch City Council in 1885. Mayoral elections were held on 26 November 1890. The two candidates were the incumbent, Samuel Manning, and Gray, who received 492 and 665 votes, respectively. Gray was thus elected as the 17th mayor of Christchurch.[1] He was mayor until 1892, and again in 1904 to 1905. His chief aims were beautifying the city, drainage, sanitation, lighting and high pressure water supply.

Member of Parliament

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New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1905–1908 16th Christchurch North Independent

Charles Gray represented the Christchurch North electorate in the New Zealand House of Representatives from the 1905 election to 1908.

Gray defeated Tommy Taylor in the 1905 contest for Christchurch North.

Gray made it clear during the election campaign that he was an independent Liberal who would go to the House unfettered by party obligations. He declared that he was not a 'party man'.[2]

Death

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Gray died in Christchurch on 11 June 1918 and was buried at Linwood Cemetery two days later.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "THE MAYORAL ELECTIONS". The Star. Issue 7021, 27 November 1890. Retrieved 28 April 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Lyttelton Times, 18 November 1905 {{citation}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) p.7
  3. ^ "Christchurch City Council Cemeteries Database". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 3 May 2011.

Further reading

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  • Whitcher, G. F. (1966), The New Liberal Party 1905, [M.A.(Hons.) - University of Canterbury]
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985), The New Zealand Parliamentary Record: 1840-1984 (4th ed.), Wellington, [N.Z.]: Government Printer


Category:Independent MPs of New Zealand Category:Mayors of Christchurch Category:People of the New Zealand Wars Category:New Zealand businesspeople Category:New Zealand businesspeople in retailing Category:New Zealand people of Australian descent Category:People from Geelong Category:1853 births Category:1918 deaths Category:New Zealand MPs for Christchurch electorates Category:Burials at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch