Motueka Borough Council was the local authority for the town of Motueka in New Zealand's South Island from 1900, when the town was awarded Borough status. The council existed until October 31, 1989. From November 1, 1989, Motueka became part of the new Tasman District, adminstered by the Tasman District Council, as part of the 1989 New Zealand local government reforms.
History
Following the provincial government period, when the wider area was administered by the Nelson Provincial Council, the town of Motueka was governed by Waimea County and the Motueka Road Board from 1877. In the June 1899 meeting of the Motueka Road Board, the majority of the members expressed a desire to form a borough for the administration of Motueka. In its September 1899 meeting, the Waimea county councillors protested against the move of Motueka to become a borough. The protest was sent to the government, but the response was that the county council must organise a counter-petition signed at least as numerously as the petition for forming the borough. County councillors thought that they would not achieve that. By early December 1899, the government gazetted the Motueka Borough.
The poll for the mayoralty was held on 8 January 1900. Richmond Hursthouse had received a numerously signed petition to stand, but the less popular John Stuart Wratt chose to contest the election as Hursthouse had opposed the formation of the borough. Hursthouse won the poll with 141 votes to 57. A poll was held on 10 January 1900 for six borough councillors, which was contested by 13 candidates. All previous road board members stood for election except for the mayoral candidates. The borough council held its inaugural meeting on 17 January 1900.
Hursthouse retired at the April 1902 election as he was about to move to Taranaki.
Laura Ingram was the first woman elected to local government in the wider Nelson-Tasman region. In the 1944 local election, she was elected to the Motueka Borough Council. She served a single term.
List of mayors The Motueka Borough Council was headed by a mayor from 1900 until 1989. The following is a complete list of officeholders:
†: Died in office Name Term of office Notes 1 Richmond Hursthouse 1900–1902 2 Stuart Wratt 1902–1904 3 Robert Rankin 1904† 4 Frederick Thorp 1904–1911† 5 Charles Lowe 1911–1912 (2) Stuart Wratt 1912† 6 Michael Simpson 1912–1914 7 Percy Moffatt 1914–1915 (5) Charles Lowe 1915–1916 (6) Michael Simpson 1916 8 James Wallace 1916–1921 9 James McGlashen 1921–1925 10 Daniel Talbot 1925–1927 (8) James Wallace 1927–1929 11 Sidney Clay 1929–1931 12 Rupert York 1931–1940† 13 Samuel Hulbert 1940–1941 14 Walter Eginton 1941–1959 15 Herbert Thomason 1959–1968 16 Jack Krammer 1968–1974 17 David Kennedy 1974–1983 18 Claude Teece 1983–1989
See also List of former local authorities in New Zealand
References