1853 New Zealand provincial elections

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.[1]

New Zealand's Provinces in 1853

Results

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The Auckland Provincial Council was originally made up by 24 members from six electorates: City of Auckland (6), Suburbs of Auckland (4), Pensioner Settlements (4), Northern Division (4), Southern Division (4),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

Electoral district	Winner	Votes (rank)	Date
Northern Division	Allan O'Neill[3]	208 (1)	1 August 1853
Northern Division	Patrick Dignan[3]	204 (2)	1 August 1853
Northern Division	James Hill[3][4]	168 (3)	1 August 1853
Northern Division	Patrick Donovan[3]	162 (4)	1 August 1853
City of Auckland	James Thomas Boylan[5][6]	575 (1)	20 July 1853
City of Auckland	Thomas Bartley[6]	513 (2)	20 July 1853
City of Auckland	Robert Mitchell[6]	485 (3)	20 July 1853
City of Auckland	James O'Neill[6]	448 (4)	20 July 1853
City of Auckland	James Derrom[6]	367 (5)	20 July 1853
City of Auckland	Andrew O'Brien[6]	363 (6)	20 July 1853
Suburbs of Auckland	William Field Porter[6]	86 (1)	20 July 1853
Suburbs of Auckland	William Connell[6]	84 (2)	20 July 1853
Suburbs of Auckland	John Watson Bain[6]	75 (3)	20 July 1853
Suburbs of Auckland	John Anderson Gilfillan[6]	72 (4)	20 July 1853
Southern Division	Joseph Newman[7]	244 (1)	1 August 1853
Southern Division	James Dilworth[7]	222 (2)	1 August 1853
Southern Division	William Innes Taylor[7][8]	209 (3)	1 August 1853
Southern Division	James Macky[7]	189 (4)	1 August 1853
Pensioner Settlements	Francis Charles Lewis[9]	342 (1)	22 July 1853
Pensioner Settlements	Joseph Brennan[9]	296 (2)	22 July 1853
Pensioner Settlements	William Powditch[9]	291 (3)	22 July 1853
Pensioner Settlements	John Williamson[9]	263 (4)	22 July 1853
Bay of Islands	James Busby[10][5]	unopposed	27 July 1853
Bay of Islands	George Clarke[10]	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The New Plymouth Provincial Council (with the province later known as Taranaki Province) was originally made up by nine members from three electorates: Town of New Plymouth (2), Grey and Bell (4), and Omata (3).[11]

Electoral district	Winner	Votes (rank)	Date
Town of New Plymouth	Isaac Newton Watt[12]	71 (1)	20 August 1853
Town of New Plymouth	Samuel Vickers[12]	61 (2)	20 August 1853
Grey and Bell	Peter Elliott[12]	119 (1)	20 August 1853
Grey and Bell	George Cutfield[12]	108 (2)	20 August 1853
Grey and Bell	Robert Parris[13][12]	106 (3)	20 August 1853
Grey and Bell	Richard Chilman[12]	98 (4)	20 August 1853
Omata	Thomas Good[12]	57 (1)	20 August 1853
Omata	Richard Rundle[12]	57 (2)	20 August 1853
Omata	George Burton[12]	36 (3)	20 August 1853

Wellington

Poster for the Wellington Provincial Council elections in 1853.

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).[14]

Electoral district	Winner	Date
Hutt	Alfred Renall[15]	13 August 1853[16]
Hutt	Alfred Ludlam[15]	13 August 1853[16]
Hutt	Edward Gibbon Wakefield[15]	13 August 1853[16]
Hutt	George Hart[15]	13 August 1853[16]
Wanganui and Rangitikei	Henry Shafto Harrison[17]	27 August 1853[17]
Wanganui and Rangitikei	William Hogg Watt[18][19]	27 August 1853[17]
Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay	Samuel Revans[20]	10 August 1853[21]
Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay	Donald Gollan[15]	10 August 1853[17]
City of Wellington	Charles Clifford[20]	9 August 1853[22]
City of Wellington	John Dorset[20]	9 August 1853[22]
City of Wellington	William Fitzherbert[20]	9 August 1853[22]
City of Wellington	George Moore[20]	9 August 1853[22]
City of Wellington	John Wallace[20]	9 August 1853[22]
City of Wellington	William Lyon[20]	9 August 1853[22]
City of Wellington	Kenneth Bethune[20]	9 August 1853[22]
Wellington Country	Alfred Brandon[20]	11 August 1853[23]
Wellington Country	Robert Waitt[20]	11 August 1853[23]
Wellington Country	Andrew Brown[20]	11 August 1853[23]

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).[24]

Electoral district	Winner	Votes (rank)	Date
Town of Nelson	Donald Sinclair[25]	161 (1)	10 August 1853
Town of Nelson	Thomas Renwick[25]	160 (2)	10 August 1853
Town of Nelson	William Hough[25]	132 (3)	10 August 1853
Town of Nelson	George Frederick Bush[25]	114 (4)	10 August 1853
Town of Nelson	Henry Adams[25]	110 (5)	10 August 1853
Waimea East	Francis Otterson[26]	unopposed	2 August 1853
Waimea East	John Barnicoat[26]	unopposed	2 August 1853
Waimea South	Edward Baigent[27]	72 (1)	18 August 1853
Waimea South	John Saxton[27]	35 (2)	18 August 1853
Wairau	Charles Elliott[28]	unopposed	10 August 1853
Wairau	Joseph Ward[28]	unopposed	10 August 1853
Motueka and Massacre Bay	Samuel Stephens[29]	48 (1)	19 August 1853
Motueka and Massacre Bay	Charles Parker[29]	36 (2)	19 August 1853
Waimea West	David Monro[30]	unopposed	3 August 1853
Suburban Districts	James Mackay[31]	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).[32] 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;[33] Moorhouse had a week earlier been elected to the House of Representatives beating Rhodes.[34]

Electoral district	Winner	Votes (rank)	Date
Town of Christchurch	Thomas Cass[35]	77 (1)	3 September 1853
Town of Christchurch	Samuel Bealey[35]	74 (2)	3 September 1853
Town of Christchurch	Richard Packer[35]	71 (3)	3 September 1853
Christchurch Country	Charles Simeon[36]	158 (1)	10 September 1853
Christchurch Country	Henry Tancred[36]	154 (2)	10 September 1853
Christchurch Country	John Hall[36]	151 (3)	10 September 1853
Christchurch Country	Charles Bowen[36]	132 (4)	10 September 1853
Town of Lyttelton	Isaac Cookson[37]	66 (1)	31 August 1853[37]
Town of Lyttelton	William John Warburton Hamilton[37]	64 (2)	31 August 1853[37]
Town of Lyttelton	Christopher Edward Dampier[37]	60 (3)	31 August 1853[37]
Akaroa	Robert Heaton Rhodes[33]	27 (1)	31 August 1853
Akaroa	Rev. William Aylmer[33]	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).[38]

Electoral district	Winner	Votes (rank)	Date
Town of Dunedin	William Cutten[39]	54 (1)	20 September 1853
Town of Dunedin	James Adam[39]	50 (2)	20 September 1853
Town of Dunedin	Alexander Rennie[39]	39 (3)	20 September 1853
Dunedin Country District	John Hyde Harris[40]	146 (1)	28 September 1853
Dunedin Country District	James Macandrew[40]	118 (2)	28 September 1853
Dunedin Country District	William Reynolds[40]	114 (3)	28 September 1853
Dunedin Country District	John Gillies[40]	111 (4)	28 September 1853
Dunedin Country District	Archibald Anderson[40]	97 (5)	28 September 1853
Dunedin Country District	Edward McGlashan[40]	94 (6)	28 September 1853

Superintendent elections

Province	Election date	Incumbent	Winner	Runner-up	Third place	Date sworn in
Auckland	30 June 1853[41]	Office established	Robert Wynyard	William Brown	None	12 July 1853
New Plymouth	16 July 1853	Office established	Charles Brown[42]	William Halse	John T. Wicksteed	16 July 1853
Wellington		Office established	Isaac Featherston	Elected unopposed		2 July 1853
Nelson		Office established	Edward Stafford[43]	John Saxton	Francis Jollie	1 August 1853
Canterbury		Office established	James FitzGerald[44]	James Campbell	Henry Tancred	20 July 1853
Otago		Office established	William Cargill	Elected unopposed		26 December 1853

Notes

1. Brett 2016, p. 271.
2. Scholefield 1950, p. 179.
3. "Provincial Council Elections". New Zealander. 9 (763). 6 August 1853. p. 3.
4. "Page 3 Advertisements Column 3". New Zealander. 9 (759). 23 July 1853. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
5. Scholefield 1950, p. 182.
6. "Provincial Council Elections". New Zealander. 9 (759). 23 July 1853. p. 3. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
7. "The Southern Cross". Daily Southern Cross. X (638). 9 August 1853. p. 2.
8. "Province of Auckland". New Zealander. 9 (772). 7 September 1853. p. 3. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
9. "Provincial Council Elections". New Zealander. 9 (759). 23 July 1853. p. 3. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
10. "The Elections". Daily Southern Cross. X (635). 29 July 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
11. Scholefield 1950, p. 229.
12. "Editorial". Taranaki Herald. II (56). 24 August 1853. p. 2.
13. Scholefield 1950, p. 233.
14. Scholefield 1950, p. 234.
15. "Hutt election". New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian. IX (840). 20 August 1853. p. 3. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
16. "Hutt election". Wellington Independent. VIII (818). 13 August 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
17. Scholefield 1950, p. 238.
18. "Untitled". Wellington Independent. VIII (824). 3 September 1853. p. 3.
19. "Whanganui". Taranaki Herald. II (60). 21 September 1853. p. 3.
20. "Editorial". Wellington Independent. VIII (818). 13 August 1853. p. 2.
21. Scholefield 1950, p. 239.
22. "Election of members for the provincial council of Wellington". Wellington Independent. VIII (817). 10 August 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
23. "Election for the Wellington Provincial Council". Wellington Independent. VIII (818). 13 August 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
24. Scholefield 1950, p. 209.
25. "Election of members for the Provincial Council for the Town of Nelson". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. XII (597). 13 August 1853. p. 7. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
26. "Election of provincial councillors for Waimea East". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. XII (597). 13 August 1853. p. 7. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
27. "Election of two members from Waimea South to serve in the Provincial Council". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. XII (598). 20 August 1853. p. 5. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
28. "Election of two members to represent the Wairau in the Provincial Council". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. XII (597). 13 August 1853. p. 7. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
29. "Motueka election". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. XII (599). 27 August 1853. p. 4. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
30. "Election of member for the Waimea West". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. XII (597). 13 August 1853. p. 7. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
31. "Election of member for the Suburban Districts for the Provincial Council". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. XII (597). 13 August 1853. p. 7. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
32. Scholefield 1950, p. 187.
33. "Akaroa election". Lyttelton Times. III (139). 3 September 1853. p. 6. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
34. "Christchurch". Lyttelton Times. III (138). 27 August 1853. p. 7. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
35. "Christchurch election". Lyttelton Times. III (140). 10 September 1853. p. 7. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
36. "The Lyttelton Times". Lyttelton Times. III (141). 17 September 1853. p. 6. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
37. "Lyttelton election". Lyttelton Times. III (139). 3 September 1853. p. 6. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
38. Scholefield 1950, p. 215.
39. "Election of the provincial council for the Town of Dunedin". Otago Witness (123). 24 September 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
40. "Election of the provincial council for the Country District". Otago Witness (124). 1 October 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
41. "Daily Southern Cross". X (627). 1 July 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
42. "The Taranaki Herald". I (51). 20 July 1853. p. 2. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
43. Brett 2016, p. 60.
44. Brett 2016, p. 63.

References

• Brett, André (June 2016). Acknowledge No Frontier – The Creation and Demise of New Zealand's Provinces, 1853–76. Dunedin: Otago University Press. ISBN 978-1-927322-36-9.
• Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.