1983 Christchurch mayoral election

New Zealand mayoral election

1983 Christchurch mayoral election

* * *

| <- 1980 | 8 October 1983 | 1986 ->

|
|

Turnout| 41,827
|  |  |

|
|

Candidate  | Hamish Hay | Rex Lester
Party  | Citizens'  | Labour
Popular vote  | 27,263  | 14,065
Percentage  | 65.18  | 33.62

* * *

| Mayor before election

Hamish Hay

| Elected mayor

Hamish Hay

|

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

## Background

[edit]

Incumbent Mayor Hamish Hay was re-elected with an increased majority, defeating the deputy mayor Rex Lester of the Labour Party. In addition to Hay retaining the mayoralty there was a concurrent swing towards the Citizens' Association leaving the composition of the council at eleven seats to the Citizens' Association with eight to the Labour Party.[1]

Earlier in the day Lester's home was broken into by burglars who stole his bicycle and sporting gear.[1]

## Results

[edit]

The following table gives the election results:

1983 Christchurch mayoral election[2] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Citizens' | Hamish Hay | 27,263 | 65.18 | +11.88
| Labour | Rex Lester  | 14,065  | 33.62  |
| Economic Euthenics  | Tubby Hansen  | 274  | 0.65  | −0.68
Informal votes  | 225  | 0.53  | +0.14
Majority | 13,198  | 31.55  | +23.22
Turnout | 41,827  |  |

## Ward results

[edit]

Candidates were also elected from wards to the Christchurch City Council.[1][3][4]

| Party/ticket | Councillors

|
|

| Citizens' | 11
| Labour | 8

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Darling, Stan (10 October 1983). "Citizens again control Chch City Council". The Press. p. 1.
2. ^ "Mayoralty voting". The Press. 10 October 1983. p. 3.
3. ^ "City Council results". The Press. 10 October 1983. p. 3.
4. ^ "Page 32 Advertisements Column 1 – Declaration of Results of Elections", The Press, p. 32, 21 October 1983, retrieved 8 June 2025

* v
* t
* e

Christchurch City Council

Civic offices|

* Christchurch Land Office (1862–1887)
* Our City (1887–1924)
* The Civic (1924–1980)
* Tuam Street civic offices (1980–2010)
* Hereford Street civic offices (2010–present)

Companies and assets|

| held through CCHL
(ownership percentage)|

* City Care (100%)
* Ecocentral Ltd (100%)
* Enable Networks (100%)
* Christchurch Airport (75%)
* Lyttelton Port Company (79.3%)
* Orion New Zealand (89.3%)
* Red Bus (100%)

|

other assets|

* Art Gallery
* Botanic Gardens
* Christchurch Bus Interchange
* Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings
* Canterbury Museum
* Ferrymead Regional Park
* Hagley Park
* McDougall Art Gallery
* New Brighton Pier
* Sign of the Kiwi
* Sign of the Takahe
* Town Hall
* Tūranga
* Wastewater Treatment Plant

former assets|

* Christchurch Bus Exchange
* Christchurch Central Library
* Christchurch Convention Centre
* Queen Elizabeth II Park

Services|

* Christchurch City Libraries
* The Shuttle

Chairman (1862–1868)|

* John Hall
* John Ollivier
* Isaac Luck
* Edward Bishop
* William Wilson

Mayors (1868–present)|

| elected by councillors|

* William Wilson
* John Anderson
* Andrew Duncan
* James Jameson
* Henry Sawtell
* Edward Bishop
* Michael Hart
* Fred Hobbs

|

elected at large|

* Fred Hobbs
* James Gapes
* Henry Thomson
* Charles Thomas Ick
* James Gapes (2nd)
* George Ruddenklau
* Charles Hulbert
* Aaron Ayers
* Charles Louisson
* Samuel Manning
* Charles Gray
* William Prudhoe
* Eden George
* Thomas Gapes
* Walter Cooper
* Harry Beswick
* Walter Cooper (2nd)
* Charles Louisson (2nd)
* William Reece
* Arthur Rhodes
* Henry Wigram
* Charles Mathew Gray (2nd)
* John Hall
* George Payling
* Charles Allison
* Thomas Taylor
* John Joseph Dougall1
* Henry Holland
* Henry Thacker
* James Flesher
* Rev John Archer
* Dan Sullivan
* John Beanland
* Robert Macfarlane
* Ernest Andrews
* Robert Macfarlane (2nd)
* George Manning
* Ron Guthrey
* Neville Pickering
* Hamish Hay
* Vicki Buck
* Garry Moore
* Bob Parker
* Lianne Dalziel
* Phil Mauger

Mayoral elections|

| annual term|

* 1875†
* 1876
* 1877
* 1878
* 1879
* 1880
* 1881
* 1882†
* 1883
* 1884†
* 1885†
* 1886
* 1887†
* 1888†
* 1889†
* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897†
* 1898†
* 1899†
* 1901†
* 1902†
* 1903†
* 1904†
* 1905
* 1906†
* 1907†
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910†
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914

|

biennial term|

* 1915
* 1917
* 1919
* 1921
* 1923
* 1925
* 1927
* 1929
* 1931
* 1933

triennial term|

* 1935
* 1936‡
* 1938
* 1941
* 1944
* 1947
* 1950
* 1953
* 1956
* 1958‡
* 1959
* 1962
* 1965
* 1968
* 1971
* 1974
* 1977
* 1980
* 1983
* 1986
* 1989
* 1992
* 1995
* 1998
* 2001
* 2004
* 2007
* 2010
* 2013
* 2016
* 2019
* 2022
* 2025

* † Elected unopposed
* ‡ By-election
* 1 appointed following death of incumbent

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