1962 Wellington City mayoral election
← 1959 13 October 1962 1965 →
Turnout34,031 (46.4%)
 
Candidate Frank Kitts Bill Arcus
Party Labour Citizens'
Popular vote 20,821 10,821
Percentage 61.18 31.79
Mayor before election

Frank Kitts
Labour

Elected Mayor

Frank Kitts
Labour

The 1962 Wellington City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1962, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Background

Incumbent mayor Frank Kitts was re-elected decisively for a third term over deputy mayor Bill Arcus, substantially increasing his majority. Initially Sam Barnett, the former Secretary of Justice and Controller-General of Police, was to be the Citizens' Association nomination for the mayoralty but he withdrew his nomination at the last minute.[1] Bill Young, an executive member of the Wellington Central electorate committee of the National Party was also approached to stand for mayor, but after giving consideration to doing so, he declined to stand.[2]

The election was also notable due to the success of Ralph Love, who became the first Maori candidate to be elected as a city councillor in Wellington's history.[3] John Jeffries was also to become the youngest ever candidate elected as a councillor (at that time) at age 33.[4]

Mayoralty results

1962 Wellington mayoral election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frank Kitts 20,821 61.18 +10.21
Citizens' Bill Arcus 10,821 31.79
United Action Saul Goldsmith 2,531 7.43
Informal votes 223 0.65 +0.09
Majority 9,635 28.31 +25.82
Turnout 34,031 46.4 -1.9

Councillor results

1962 Wellington City Council election[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frank Kitts[nb 1] 18,714 54.99 +4.11
Citizens' Maida Clark 17,772 52.22 +4.43
Labour John Churchill 15,925 46.79 +3.39
Citizens' Bob Archibald 15,798 46.22 +8.54
Citizens' Alice Campbell 14,978 44.01 -2.41
Citizens' Stewart Duff 14,934 43.88 +2.76
Citizens' Denis McGrath 14,915 43.82
Citizens' Noel Manthel 14,172 41.64 +0.52
Citizens' Matt Benney 13,624 40.03
Citizens' John Turk 13,536 39.77 +10.25
Labour Ralph Love 13,135 38.59
Labour John Jeffries 13,036 38.30
Citizens' George Porter 12,979 38.13 -6.68
Citizens' Gordon Morrison 12,815 37.65 -4.35
Citizens' Alan Simm 12,658 37.19
Labour Lettie Allen 12,646 37.16 -0.30
Citizens' Douglas Barry-Martin 12,252 36.00
Citizens' Cecil Read 12,212 35.88 -4.96
Citizens' John Tipping 12,105 35.57
Labour Jack Arthurs 11,911 35.00 -0.07
Citizens' Arthur Jennings 11,699 34.37
Labour Gerald O'Brien 11,394 33.48 +3.10
Labour Walter Pellew 11,172 32.82
Labour George Matthew 11,078 32.55 +1.80
Labour Nigel Taylor 10,909 32.05 -1.34
Labour Percival Hansen 10,266 30.16
Labour Allan Goldsmith 10,106 29.69 +2.83
Labour Roland Howell 9,419 27.67
Labour James Herlihy 9,180 26.97
Independent Peter Howman 9,071 26.65 -14.30
Labour Reginald Tillam 8,763 25.75
United Action Saul Goldsmith 8,489 24.94 +5.87
Independent Berkeley Dallard 8,347 24.52
United Action Frank Tickner 6,407 18.82
United Action Leslie Austin 5,098 14.98 +0.50
United Action Ron Brierley 4,033 11.85 +1.98
United Action James Glass 3,658 10.74
United Action Francis Malcolm 3,647 10.71
United Action Alice Coe 3,597 10.56 +0.70
United Action Violet Petterson 3,255 9.56
Independent Annette Griffin 3,131 9.20 +4.88
United Action George Ayson 3,073 9.03 -1.59
United Action Carlyle Edwards 3,034 8.91
Independent Philip Cossham 3,022 8.88 +4.49
United Action Arthur Norris 2,701 7.93
United Action Alfred Ivin 2,484 7.29
United Action Alan McKibbin 2,454 7.21
United Action Patrick Fee 2,171 6.37
Communist Ron Smith 1,460 4.29 +0.12
Communist Ray Nunes 978 2.87 -0.66

Table footnotes:

  1. ^ As Kitts won the Mayoralty his election to the council was voided and his seat was awarded to the highest polling unsuccessful candidate.

References

  1. ^ "Nomination Withdrawn". The Press. 23 May 1962. p. 4.
  2. ^ Dekker, Diana (31 August 2009). "Bill Young: Minister and diplomat from humble beginnings". Stuff. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  3. ^ Love, Catherine. "Love, Makere Rangiatea Ralph". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  4. ^ du Fresne, Karl (16 February 2019). "Sir John Jeffries: From school failure to career overachiever". Stuff.
  5. ^ a b James, T.W. (23 October 1962). Declaration of Election Results (Report). Wellington City Council.
  6. ^ "Official Result of Poll in Wellington". The Dominion. 29 October 1962.


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