Mayor of Wanganui

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The Mayor of Wanganui is the head of the Wanganui District Council.

Prior to 1989, when Wanganui's city charter was cancelled, the Mayor was the head of the Wanganui City Council. Local government reform of 1989 amalgamated various city and council councils - Wanganui District Council includes the old Wanganui City Council, Wanganui County Council and a part of the Waitotara County Council.

Wanganui Town Board was first formed in 1862, and its first chairman was J Handley who served in that capacity until 1864. The Board became a Borough Council in 1872 until 1924, when Wanganui was granted city status. It continued as the City Council until 1989.

The motto of the then Wanganui City, and now Wanganui District Council, is 'Sans Dieu Rien' ('Without God, we are nothing').

The current mayor is broadcaster and writer Michael Laws and he has a reputation for controversial if populist leadership. Laws defeated longstanding mayor Chas Poynter (1986-2004) who had served on the Wanganui council from 1977. Despite the various controversies, Laws was re-elected in 2007 with an increased majority.

However, Wanganui's most controversial mayor, by far, was well regarded lawyer Charles E MacKay who was found guilty of the attempted murder of poet Darcy Cresswell - a charge stemming from an attempt to allegedly blackmail Mayor MacKay for homosexual advances.

MacKay was arrested, pleaded guilty and imprisoned. He was released from prison in 1927, travelled to England and became a journalist. He was killed in 1929 riots in Munich, Germany whilst reporting the civil unrest.

[edit] List of Mayors of Wanganui

(incomplete list)

  • A Hatrick (1897-1904)
  • AG Bignell (1904-06)
  • E Liffiton (1912)
  • CE MacKay (1906-12, 1912-13, & 1915-20) - resigned & imprisoned
  • TB Williams (1913-15 & 1920-24)
  • H Gibbons MBE (1924-27)
  • N G Armstrong (1931-35)
  • W J Rogers OBE (1927-31 & 1935-53)
  • E A Millward OBE(1953-62) - retired 1962
  • Reg Andrews OBE(1962-74) - retired 1974
  • Ron Russell QSO(1974-83) - retired 1983
  • Doug Turney (1983-86) - defeated by Chas Poynter (1986)
  • Chas Poynter QSO(1986-2004) - defeated by Michael Laws (2004)
  • Michael Laws (2004 - ).