The 1853 New Zealand provincial elections were the first elections in New Zealand to elect members and superintendents to the newly created Provinces of New Zealand. The elections were held between July and September 1853, at the same time as the 1853 New Zealand general elections for the central government, which were held between July and October. The provincial elections had higher voter turnouts than the general elections, with the elections for provincial superintendents (where they were contested) having the highest voter turnout.

Results

Provincial councils

Auckland The Auckland Provincial Council was originally made up by 24 members from six electorates: City of Auckland (6), Suburbs of Auckland (4), Pensioner Settlements (4), Northern Division (4), Southern Division (4), and Bay of Islands (2).

+Electoral districtWinnerVotes (rank)Date Northern Division Allan O'Neill 208 (1) 1 August 1853 Northern Division Patrick Dignan 204 (2) 1 August 1853 Northern Division James Hill 168 (3) 1 August 1853 Northern Division Patrick Donovan 162 (4) 1 August 1853 City of Auckland James Thomas Boylan 575 (1) 20 July 1853 City of Auckland Thomas Bartley 513 (2) 20 July 1853 City of Auckland Robert Mitchell 485 (3) 20 July 1853 City of Auckland James O'Neill 448 (4) 20 July 1853 City of Auckland James Derrom 367 (5) 20 July 1853 City of Auckland Andrew O'Brien 363 (6) 20 July 1853 Suburbs of Auckland William Field Porter 86 (1) 20 July 1853 Suburbs of Auckland William Connell 84 (2) 20 July 1853 Suburbs of Auckland John Watson Bain 75 (3) 20 July 1853 Suburbs of Auckland John Anderson Gilfillan 72 (4) 20 July 1853 Southern Division Joseph Newman 244 (1) 1 August 1853 Southern Division James Dilworth 222 (2) 1 August 1853 Southern Division William Innes Taylor 209 (3) 1 August 1853 Southern Division James Macky 189 (4) 1 August 1853 Pensioner Settlements Francis Charles Lewis 342 (1) 22 July 1853 Pensioner Settlements Joseph Brennan 296 (2) 22 July 1853 Pensioner Settlements William Powditch 291 (3) 22 July 1853 Pensioner Settlements John Williamson 263 (4) 22 July 1853 Bay of Islands James Busby unopposed 27 July 1853 Bay of Islands George Clarke unopposed 27 July 1853

New Plymouth The New Plymouth Provincial Council (with the province later known as Taranaki Province) was originally made up by nine members from three electorates: Town of New Plymouth (2), Grey and Bell (4), and Omata (3).

+Electoral districtWinnerVotes (rank)Date Town of New Plymouth Isaac Newton Watt 71 (1) 20 August 1853 Town of New Plymouth Samuel Vickers 61 (2) 20 August 1853 Grey and Bell Peter Elliott 119 (1) 20 August 1853 Grey and Bell George Cutfield 108 (2) 20 August 1853 Grey and Bell Robert Parris 106 (3) 20 August 1853 Grey and Bell Richard Chilman 98 (4) 20 August 1853 Omata Thomas Good 57 (1) 20 August 1853 Omata Richard Rundle 57 (2) 20 August 1853 Omata George Burton 36 (3) 20 August 1853

Wellington

The Wellington Provincial Council was originally made up by eighteen members from five electorates: City of Wellington (7), Wellington Country (3), Hutt (4), Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay (2), and Wanganui and Rangitikei (2).

+Electoral districtWinnerDate Hutt 13 August 1853 Hutt 13 August 1853 Hutt 13 August 1853 Hutt 13 August 1853 Wanganui and Rangitikei 27 August 1853 Wanganui and Rangitikei 27 August 1853 Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay 10 August 1853 Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay 10 August 1853 City of Wellington 9 August 1853 City of Wellington 9 August 1853 City of Wellington 9 August 1853 City of Wellington 9 August 1853 City of Wellington 9 August 1853 City of Wellington 9 August 1853 City of Wellington 9 August 1853 Wellington Country 11 August 1853 Wellington Country 11 August 1853 Wellington Country 11 August 1853

Nelson The Nelson Provincial Council was originally made up by fifteen members from seven electorates: Town of Nelson (5), Waimea East (2), Waimea South (2), Wairau (2), Motueka and Massacre Bay (2), Waimea West (1), and Suburban Districts (1).

Electoral district Winner Votes (rank) Date Town of Nelson 161 (1) 10 August 1853 Town of Nelson 160 (2) 10 August 1853 Town of Nelson 132 (3) 10 August 1853 Town of Nelson 114 (4) 10 August 1853 Town of Nelson 110 (5) 10 August 1853 Waimea East unopposed 2 August 1853 Waimea East unopposed 2 August 1853 Waimea South 72 (1) 18 August 1853 Waimea South 35 (2) 18 August 1853 Wairau unopposed 10 August 1853 Wairau unopposed 10 August 1853 Motueka and Massacre Bay 48 (1) 19 August 1853 Motueka and Massacre Bay 36 (2) 19 August 1853 Waimea West unopposed 3 August 1853 Suburban Districts unopposed 10 August 1853

Canterbury The Canterbury Provincial Council was originally made up by twelve members from four electorates: Town of Christchurch (3), Christchurch Country District (4), Town of Lyttelton (3), and Akaroa (2). In Akaroa, there was a draw for second place between Rev. William Aylmer and William Sefton Moorhouse. The returning officer gave his vote to Aylmer; Moorhouse had a week earlier been elected to the House of Representatives beating Rhodes.

+Electoral districtWinnerVotes (rank)Date Town of Christchurch 77 (1) 3 September 1853 Town of Christchurch 74 (2) 3 September 1853 Town of Christchurch 71 (3) 3 September 1853 Christchurch Country 158 (1) 10 September 1853 Christchurch Country 154 (2) 10 September 1853 Christchurch Country 151 (3) 10 September 1853 Christchurch Country 132 (4) 10 September 1853 Town of Lyttelton 66 (1) 31 August 1853 Town of Lyttelton 64 (2) 31 August 1853 Town of Lyttelton 60 (3) 31 August 1853 Akaroa 27 (1) 31 August 1853 Akaroa 24 (2) 31 August 1853

Otago The Otago Provincial Council was originally made up by nine members from two electorates: Town of Dunedin (3) and Dunedin Country District (6).

Electoral district Winner Votes (rank) Date Town of Dunedin William Cutten 54 (1) 20 September 1853 Town of Dunedin James Adam 50 (2) 20 September 1853 Town of Dunedin Alexander Rennie 39 (3) 20 September 1853 Dunedin Country District John Hyde Harris 146 (1) 28 September 1853 Dunedin Country District James Macandrew 118 (2) 28 September 1853 Dunedin Country District William Reynolds 114 (3) 28 September 1853 Dunedin Country District John Gillies 111 (4) 28 September 1853 Dunedin Country District Archibald Anderson 97 (5) 28 September 1853 Dunedin Country District Edward McGlashan 94 (6) 28 September 1853

Superintendent elections +ProvinceElection dateIncumbentWinnerRunner-upThird placeDate sworn in Auckland 30 June 1853 Office established Robert Wynyard William Brown None 12 July 1853 New Plymouth 16 July 1853 Office established Charles Brown William Halse John T. Wicksteed 16 July 1853 Wellington Office established Isaac Featherston Elected unopposed 2 July 1853 Nelson Office established Edward Stafford John Saxton Francis Jollie 1 August 1853 Canterbury Office established James FitzGerald James Campbell Henry Tancred 20 July 1853 Otago Office established William Cargill Elected unopposed 26 December 1853

Notes

References