New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1876–1877	6th	City of Auckland West			Independent

Benjamin Tonks (1832 – 27 June 1884) was a 19th-century mayor and Member of Parliament in Auckland, New Zealand.

Tonks was elected to the Parnell electorate of the Auckland Provincial Council in 1871. He represented Parnell in the 6th and 7th council until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.^[1]

He was the Mayor of Auckland City from 1875 to 1876. He defeated the incumbent mayor Frederick Prime 1,062 votes to 402 in the first direct election for the position by the public.^[2]

At the 1876 by-election which followed the resignation of Sir George Grey, he was elected to represent the City of Auckland West electorate. He resigned in 1877.^[3]

He died at his home in Remuera on 27 June 1884.^[4]^[5]

References

^ Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 186.
^ "Election of Mayor". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. XII, no. 4398. 17 December 1875. p. 5.
^ Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 241. OCLC 154283103.
^ "Death of Mr. Benjamin Tonks". Auckland Star. 27 June 1884. p. 2. Retrieved 20 June 2020 – via Papers Past.
^ "Deaths". Auckland Star. 28 June 1884. p. 2. Retrieved 20 June 2020 – via Papers Past.

Political offices Preceded byFrederick Prime Mayor of Auckland City 1875–1876 Succeeded byWilliam John Hurst

Mayors of Auckland City

Mayors

Mayoral elections

Annual term	1871† 1872† 1873† 1874† 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† 1900† 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 1935
Triennial term	1938 1941 1944 1947 1950 1953 1956 1957‡ 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1990‡ 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007

Local elections

1986
1989
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
2007
by-elections

† Elected unopposed
‡ By-election