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1983 Wellington City mayoral election

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New Zealand mayoral election

1983 Wellington City mayoral election
← 1980 8 October 1983 1986 →
Turnout38,856 (37.59%)
 
Candidate Ian Lawrence Helene Ritchie
Party Citizens' Labour
Popular vote 19,952 11,876
Percentage 49.28 30.56
Mayor before election

Sir Michael Fowler

 Elected mayor

Ian Lawrence

The 1983 Wellington City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1983, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government positions including eighteen city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Background

The election saw deputy mayor Ian Lawrence voted in as the new Mayor of Wellington to replace Sir Michael Fowler who had retired. Lawrence retained the Mayoralty for the Citizens' Association, seeing off a challenge from high profile Labour Party councillor Helene Ritchie. Given Lawrence's quiet style and low profile compared to Ritchie's more marked public reputation, most commentators and pollsters were predicting a very close result. The eventual outcome was a surprise to many with Lawrence winning by a margin exceeding 8,000 votes, with media dubbing him "Landslide Lawrence". Ritchie retrospectively blamed her loss on an "anti-woman vote".

The 1983 election was also notable as it saw former Citizens' councillor Leone Harkness re-elected to the council as an independent candidate, the first time a candidate without an official party ticket had been elected to the council since Berkeley Dallard in 1950. It also saw Jenny Brough (later Harris) retain her seat on the council after defecting from Labour in 1982. It also marked the last time in Wellington where local body elections elected councillors at large.

Mayoralty results

1983 Wellington mayoral election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens' Ian Lawrence 19,952 49.28
Labour Helene Ritchie 11,876 30.56
Independent Leone Harkness 6,208 15.97
Independent Josie Bullock 643 1.65
Private Enterprise Frank Moncur 177 0.45 −0.35
Informal votes 244 0.62
Majority 8,076 20.78
Turnout 38,856 37.59
Results by locality
Locality Lawrence Ritchie Harkness Bullock Moncur Winner
Onslow College 333 159 97 7 4 Lawrence
Johnsonville West School 228 64 56 4 0 Lawrence
Johnsonville Emergency Centre 122 127 36 3 1 Ritchie
Johnsonville Community Centre 243 162 61 4 1 Lawrence
Johnsonville School 298 163 113 3 1 Lawrence
Paparangi School 186 105 73 2 2 Lawrence
Rewa Rewa School 151 72 44 1 2 Lawrence
White's Garage 56 23 6 0 1 Lawrence
Bellvue School 161 63 41 3 0 Lawrence
Centennial Hall 375 211 102 3 2 Lawrence
Newlands Tennis Club 68 40 20 0 0 Lawrence
Wallace's Garage 49 33 23 2 0 Lawrence
Churton Park School 202 57 65 2 0 Lawrence
Downer & Co. 52 14 14 2 1 Lawrence
Dragon St. Cafeteria 17 18 2 0 0 Ritchie
Ohariu Hall 50 33 15 0 0 Lawrence
Raumati Beach School 12 9 6 0 0 Lawrence
Cashmere Avenue School 219 75 64 5 0 Lawrence
Khandallah Scout Hall 225 50 55 1 0 Lawrence
St Barnabas Parish Hall 139 36 36 0 2 Lawrence
Khandallah Town Hall 907 251 165 7 2 Lawrence
Khandallah Masonic Hall 177 50 38 3 1 Lawrence
Ngaio School 46 43 11 0 1 Lawrence
Ngaio Kindergarten 115 64 32 2 0 Lawrence
Ngaio Town Hall 519 266 149 8 7 Lawrence
Union Church Hall 98 47 26 2 1 Lawrence
Ngaio Playcentre 90 43 15 0 0 Lawrence
Chartwell School 90 32 16 5 0 Lawrence
Wilton School 180 121 57 11 1 Lawrence
Wadestown School 78 44 27 2 0 Lawrence
St Luke's Hall 428 235 172 18 0 Lawrence
Thorndon Masonic Hall 125 75 51 8 0 Lawrence
Talavera Tennis Club 33 35 11 3 0 Ritchie
St Andrew's Hall 105 63 32 2 0 Lawrence
Victoria University 95 116 46 12 1 Ritchie
Kelburn Church Hall 300 271 161 20 2 Lawrence
Kelburn Normal School 82 76 40 2 1 Lawrence
Presbyterian Church Hall 57 55 29 2 1 Lawrence
Methodist Church Hall 218 143 103 8 5 Lawrence
Northland School 132 108 52 6 1 Lawrence
Coad's Garage 110 47 24 1 2 Lawrence
Karori Masonic Hall 140 70 46 4 0 Lawrence
Sprott House 269 56 76 9 2 Lawrence
St Mary's Parish Hall 245 74 75 2 1 Lawrence
Karori School 643 174 178 10 1 Lawrence
St John's Methodist Hall 486 185 133 8 5 Lawrence
Karori Pavilion 176 80 80 7 1 Lawrence
Karori West School 407 202 150 7 2 Lawrence
Makara Community Centre 36 27 15 8 0 Lawrence
Macalister Park 94 58 25 3 0 Lawrence
Kingston School 67 23 14 0 0 Lawrence
Ridgeway School 144 86 49 7 0 Lawrence
Vogelmorn Public Hall 67 40 18 1 0 Lawrence
Brooklyn Baptist Hall 261 179 104 8 2 Lawrence
Brooklyn Community Centre 109 108 27 6 0 Lawrence
St Matthew's Hall 166 111 51 8 1 Lawrence
Aro Valley Community Hall 133 317 75 18 1 Ritchie
Webb St. Depot 127 118 39 7 0 Lawrence
Willis St. Clinic 84 73 25 3 0 Lawrence
St John's Church Hall 88 113 40 3 2 Ritchie
Wellington Cathedral 91 98 33 2 1 Ritchie
Wellington Girls' College 50 52 27 2 0 Ritchie
Queen Margaret College 106 42 29 2 0 Lawrence
Wesley Church Hall 35 33 19 2 1 Lawrence
Wellington Polytechnic 59 78 38 7 0 Ritchie
Samoan Assembly of God 121 184 41 7 6 Ritchie
Berhampore School 120 161 68 6 1 Ritchie
Island Bay Church Hall 306 184 88 21 2 Lawrence
Island Bay Surf Club 55 38 15 1 0 Lawrence
Island Bay School 170 115 51 13 1 Lawrence
St Hilda's Church Hall 298 135 69 10 5 Lawrence
Owhiro Bay School 73 76 24 3 2 Ritchie
Houghton Valley School 67 58 29 3 2 Lawrence
Church of the Transfiguration 62 59 41 4 1 Lawrence
Newtown Fire Station 84 141 30 4 5 Ritchie
Salvation Army Hall 169 157 48 6 1 Lawrence
Newtown School 195 312 83 11 9 Ritchie
Wellington Hospital 78 89 31 0 0 Ritchie
Southern Cross Scout Hall 55 37 11 3 1 Lawrence
Methodist Church Hall 143 156 51 6 1 Ritchie
Rongotai College 154 143 42 7 3 Lawrence
Maranui Surf Lifesaving Club 147 92 66 9 11 Lawrence
Lyall Bay School 198 99 59 10 5 Lawrence
St Giles' Hall 263 161 61 10 4 Lawrence
All Saints' Church Hall 107 37 12 1 1 Lawrence
Samoan Methodist Church Hall 339 190 124 21 8 Lawrence
Sea Cadet Hall 50 15 24 1 0 Lawrence
Haitaitai School 309 143 83 5 0 Lawrence
Roseneath Church Hall 92 37 36 4 0 Lawrence
St Barnabas Church Hall 143 76 47 1 4 Lawrence
Freyberg Pool 198 80 45 11 3 Lawrence
Central Fire Station 168 142 55 8 1 Lawrence
Congregational Church Hall 105 150 45 6 0 Ritchie
St Mark's Church Hall 98 57 35 3 1 Lawrence
Miramar South School 152 80 49 4 0 Lawrence
Miramar Central School 548 265 130 17 5 Lawrence
Miramar North School 126 90 44 4 0 Lawrence
Marist Brothers' School 271 113 78 9 3 Lawrence
Miramar Co-op. Hall 199 98 43 3 2 Lawrence
St Christopher's Hall 48 53 39 3 0 Ritchie
Strathmore Park School 324 159 69 5 1 Lawrence
Breaker Bay Progressive Assn. Hall 30 24 8 4 1 Lawrence
Seatoun School 438 89 73 9 0 Lawrence
St George's Hall 141 43 42 4 1 Lawrence
Worser Bay Life Saving Club 47 23 16 6 1 Lawrence
Worser Bay School 150 48 54 11 0 Lawrence
Town Hall 455 399 203 25 2 Lawrence
Postal votes 666 327 189 15 6 Lawrence
Hospital votes 124 99 21 6 8 Lawrence
Special votes 612 546 184 25 4 Lawrence
Total 19,952 11,876 6,208 643 177 Lawrence

Councillor results

1983 Wellington City Council election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens' Jenny Brough 20,019 51.52 +13.57
Labour Keith Spry 19,807 50.97 +5.16
Citizens' Rosemary Young-Rouse 19,766 50.86 +8.26
Labour Helene Ritchie 19,571 50.36 +2.42
Citizens' Gavin Wilson 19,166 49.32 +8.22
Independent Leone Harkness 18,478 47.55 +10.32
Labour Joe Aspell 18,272 47.02 +7.18
Citizens' Les Paske 18,236 46.93 +9.81
Citizens' Bryan Weyburne 17,939 46.17
Labour Ros Noonan 17,936 46.16 −0.28
Citizens' David Bull 17,567 45.21 −5.86
Labour Hazel Bibby 17,321 44.57 +5.53
Labour Tala Cleverley 16,901 43.49 +2.31
Citizens' Rex Nicholls 16,857 43.38
Labour Margaret Bonner 16,696 42.96
Citizens' Arthur Kinsella 16,490 42.43
Citizens' Ruth Gotlieb 15,622 40.20 +20.80
Labour Terry McDavitt 15,354 39.51
Citizens' Bruce Harris 15,163 39.02 −0.20
Citizens' Roger Ridley-Smith 14,967 38.51 +1.18
Labour Frank O'Flynn 14,931 38.42 −1.96
Citizens' Colin Dickie 14,712 37.86
Citizens' Peter Isaac 14,319 36.85
Citizens' Saul Goldsmith 13,944 35.88 +1.83
Labour Ken Boyden 13,920 35.82
Labour Allan Levett 13,235 34.06
Citizens' Sarah Lysaght 12,970 33.37
Citizens' Terry Dykes 12,904 33.20
Citizens' Michael Carney 12,780 32.89
Labour John Blincoe 12,321 31.70
Labour Paul Fitzgerald 12,282 31.60
Citizens' Joseph Kenneally 12,191 31.37
Labour Harry Holden 12,160 31.29
Labour John Gilberthorpe 11,986 30.84
Labour David Robinson 11,665 30.02 +0.94
Labour Geoff Turner 11,004 28.31
Labour Joe McTaggart 10,692 27.51 +0.20
Independent Josie Bullock 8,775 22.58
Independent Citizens' Eric Hughes 4,314 11.10
Private Enterprise Frank Moncur 3,228 8.30 +2.53
Independent John Antonius Elise Pell 2,244 5.77

Table footnotes:

  1. Harris was appointed to fill the vacancy on the council in 1985 caused by Leone Harkness' resignation

References

  1. Moran, Paul (28 September 1983). "Clear Choices in main-ticket mayoralty race". The Dominion.
  2. Chetwin, Suzanne (24 May 1989). "Standing Alone". The Evening Post.
  3. ^ Dawson, P.L. (25 October 1983). Declaration of Result of Election (Report). Wellington City Council.
  4. ^ "Local Body Polls '83". The Evening Post. 10 October 1983.
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