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Mayor of Wellington

Elected head of Wellington City Council, New Zealand


Elected head of Wellington City Council, New Zealand

FieldValue
insigniaWellington coat of arms full achievement.svg
insigniacaptionCoat of arms of the city of Wellington
flagcaptionFlag of the city of Wellington
postMayor
bodyWellington
imageFile:Andrew Little October 2025 (cropped).jpg
incumbentAndrew Little
incumbentsince17 October 2025
styleHis Worship
termlengthThree years, renewable
typeCouncil leader
appointerElectorate of Wellington City
seatWellington Town Hall
departmentWellington City Council
member_ofWellington City Council
formation3 October 1842
inauguralGeorge Hunter
deputyBen McNulty
salary$197,011
websiteofficial website

The mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of the city of Wellington, one of 67 mayors in New Zealand; they preside over the Wellington City Council. The mayor is directly elected using the single transferable vote method of proportional representation.

The current mayor is Andrew Little, elected in October 2025 for a three-year-term.

History

The development of local government in Wellington was erratic. The first attempt to establish governmental institutions, the so-called "Wellington Republic", was short-lived and based on rules written by the New Zealand Company. Colonel William Wakefield was to be the first president.

When the self-proclaimed government arrested a ship's captain for a violation of Wellington law, the Governor William Hobson quickly asserted British sovereignty over the whole of New Zealand, sending a warship and contingent of soldiers to Wellington Harbour and disbanding the council through a show of force.

In January 1842, the Legislative Council in Auckland passed the Municipal Corporations Ordinance, and in May 1842 Wellington was officially proclaimed a borough, the first municipality with this status. The office of mayor was established, but there were only two holders of this office under the Ordinance. George Hunter received the most votes in the election for 12 Burgesses to the new council on 3 October 1842 and was declared mayor. He died suddenly on 19 July 1843. William Guyton was then declared mayor, as runner-up in 1842.

The British Government disallowed the Municipal Corporations Ordinance, but news of this did not reach Wellington until late September 1843, after the election had been held and a second Burgess Roll of qualified voters had been prepared, in 1843 (both Rolls are listed in Carman 1970). After a brief period of little local government, the Province of Wellington was established in 1852, and most of Wellington's affairs were handled by the provincial government.

In 1863, a Town Board was established with three wards (Thorndon, Lambton, Te Aro), but no Mayor.

On 16 September 1870, Wellington was officially incorporated as a city, and a new mayoralty created, which continues to be in place. The establishment of the new council was primarily driven by John Plimmer, called by some the Father of Wellington. Initially, the councillors elected one of their own as mayor towards the end of the year. The role was traditionally awarded to the longest serving councillor. The system changed upon the introduction of The Municipal Corporations Acts Amendment Act, 1875. It legislated that mayors must be elected at large by eligible voters. The inaugural mayoral election was held in 1874 resulting in William Sefton Moorhouse being the first mayor to be elected directly by voters.

Since then the office of mayor has been held by 38 people. Five people have been mayor on two separate occasions, and the longest-serving mayor was Sir Frank Kitts, from 1956 to 1974. Tory Whanau, who held the office from 2022 to 2025, was the first Māori person to serve as mayor.

List of mayors of Wellington

;Key

No.NamePortraitTerm of officeElectionsIndependent politician}};"-Independent politician}};"-Independent politician}};"1Independent politician}};"2Independent politician}};"3Independent politician}};"4Independent politician}};"(1)Independent politician}};"5Independent politician}};"(4)Independent politician}};"6Independent politician}};"7Independent politician}};"8Independent politician}};"9Independent politician}};"10Independent politician}};"(7)Independent politician}};"11Independent politician}};"12Independent politician}};"13Independent politician}};"(6)Independent politician}};"(11)Independent politician}};"14Independent politician}};"15Independent politician}};"16Independent politician}};"17Wellington Citizens League}};"18New Zealand Labour Party}};"19Wellington Citizens League}};"20Civic League}};"21Civic League}};"22Civic League}};"23Civic League}};"24Civic League}};"25Civic League}};"26New Zealand Labour Party}};"27Wellington Citizens' Association}};"28Wellington Citizens' Association}};"29New Zealand Labour Party}};"30New Zealand Labour Party}};"31Independent politician}};"32Independent politician}};"33Independent politician}};"34New Zealand Labour Party}};"35Independent politician}};"36Independent politician}};"37New Zealand Labour Party}};"38
George Hunter[[File:George Hunter (mayor).jpg60px]]3 October 184219 July 1843†1842
William Guyton[[File:William Guyton.jpg60px]]26 July 18439 December 1843
Joe Dransfield[[File:Joseph Dransfield.jpg60px]]28 September 187017 December 1873
Charles Borlase[[File:Charles Borlase.jpg60px]]8 January 187428 January 1875
William Sefton Moorhouse[[File:William Sefton Moorhouse1.jpg60px]]28 January 18751 December 18751874
William Hutchison[[File:William Hutchison, 1882.jpg60px]]15 December 187519 December 187718751876
Joe Dransfield[[File:Joseph Dransfield.jpg60px]]19 December 18779 May 187918771878
George Allen[[File:George Allen (mayor).jpg60px]]10 May 187929 May 1879
(Acting Mayor)
William Hutchison[[File:William Hutchison, 1882.jpg60px]]29 May 187930 November 1881187918791880
George Fisher[[File:George Fisher, between 1884 and 1890.jpg60px]]30 November 188117 December 188518811882
18831884
Arthur Winton Brown[[File:Arthur Winton Brown.jpg60px]]17 December 188515 December 18861885
Sam Brown[[File:Samuel Brown.jpg60px]]15 December 188627 December 188818861887
John Duthie[[File:John Duthie, ca 1900.jpg60px]]27 December 188819 December 18891888
Charles Johnston[[File:Charles J. Johnston.jpg60px]]19 December 188923 December 18901889
Arthur Winton Brown[[File:Arthur Winton Brown.jpg60px]]23 December 189016 December 18911890
Francis Bell[[File:Sir Francis Henry Dillon Bell, ca 1924.jpg60px]]16 December 189120 December 189318911892
Alfred Brandon[[File:Mayor Alfred de Bathe Brandon.jpg60px]]20 December 189320 December 18941893
Charles Luke[[File:Charles Manley Luke.jpg60px]]20 December 189419 December 18951894
George Fisher[[File:George Fisher, ca 1890s.jpg60px]]19 December 189516 December 18961895
Francis Bell[[File:Sir Francis Henry Dillon Bell, ca 1924.jpg60px]]16 December 189615 December 18971896
John Blair[[File:John Rutherford Blair.jpg60px]]15 December 189721 December 189918971898
John Aitken[[File:John Guthrie Wood Aitken, ca 1902-1908.jpg60px]]21 December 18994 May 1905189919011902
19031904
Thomas William Hislop[[File:Thomas William Hislop, 1908.jpg60px]]4 May 19055 May 190919051906
19071908
Alfred Newman[[File:Alfred Kingcome Newman.jpg60px]]5 May 19095 May 19101909
Thomas Wilford[[File:Thomas Wilford, 1909.jpg60px]]5 May 19102 May 191219101911
David McLaren[[File:David McLaren.jpg60px]]2 May 19128 May 19131912
John Luke[[File:John Luke.jpg60px]]8 May 191311 May 1921191319141915
19171919
Robert Wright[[File:Robert Alexander Wright.jpg60px]]11 May 192113 May 192519211923
Charles Norwood[[File:Charles Norwood.jpg60px]]13 May 192511 May 19271925
George Troup[[File:George Alexander Troup (1863–1941) by Stanley Polkinghorne Andrew (c.1879-1964) in 1927.jpg60px]]11 May 192720 May 193119271929
Thomas Hislop[[File:Thomas Charles Atkinson Hislop.jpg60px]]20 May 193114 June 1944193119331935
19381941
Will Appleton[[File:Will Appleton.jpg60px]]14 June 19446 December 195019441947
Robert Macalister[[File:Robert Macalister.jpg60px]]6 December 19506 December 195619501953
Frank Kitts[[File:Frank Kitts, 1954.jpg60px]]6 December 195613 November 1974195619591962
196519681971
Michael Fowler[[File:Mayor Michael Fowler (crop).jpg60px]]13 November 197426 October 1983197419771980
Ian Lawrence[[File:Ian Lawrence, 1983 (crop).jpg60px]]26 October 198330 October 19861983
Jim Belich[[File:Jim Belich, 1990 (cropped).jpg60px]]30 October 198628 October 199219861989
Fran Wilde[[File:Fran Wilde (circa 1992-1995) (cropped).jpg80x80px]]28 October 199228 October 19951992
Mark Blumsky[[File:Mark Blumsky (cropped).jpg79x79px]]28 October 199527 October 200119951998
Kerry Prendergast[[File:Kerry Prendergast (circa 2000s) (cropped).jpg80x80px]]27 October 200127 October 2010200120042007
Celia Wade-Brown[[File:Celia Wade-Brown, 2013 (cropped).jpg80x80px]]27 October 201010 October 201620102013
Justin Lester[[File:Justin Lester 2016 (centred crop).jpg79x79px]]10 October 201619 October 20192016
Andy Foster[[File:Official photo of Andy Foster (cropped).png80x80px]]19 October 201915 October 20222019
Tory Whanau[[File:Tory Whanau official portrait 2025 (cropped).jpg60px]]15 October 202217 October 20252022
Andrew Little[[File:Andrew Little October 2025 (further cropped).jpg79x79px]]17 October 2025Incumbent2025

Deputy mayor of Wellington

The deputy mayor of Wellington is the deputy head of the municipal government of Wellington, New Zealand. They fill in for the mayor when they are absent, among other responsibilities.

List of deputy mayors

;Key

No.NameTerm of officeMayorStartEnd1234(3)56789101112131415161718Independent politician}}"19202122232425262728
Civic League}}"John Smith19101912Civic League}}"Wilford
Vacant
Civic League}}"George Frost19201921Civic League}}"Luke
Vacant
Civic League}}"Martin Luckie19231931Civic League}}"Troup
Civic League}}"William Bennett19311936†Civic League}}"Hislop
Civic League}}"Martin Luckie19361947
Civic League}}"Civic League}}"Appleton
Civic League}}"Robert Macalister19471950
Civic League}}"William Stevens19501953Civic League}}"Macalister
Civic League}}"Ernest Toop19531956
Civic League}}"Harry Nankervis19561960New Zealand Labour Party}}"Kitts
Civic League}}"Bill Arcus19601962
Civic League}}"Denis McGrath19621965
Civic League}}"Matt Benney19651966
Civic League}}"Bob Archibald19661970
Civic League}}"George Porter19701971
New Zealand Labour Party}}"John Jeffries19711974
Civic League}}"Ian Lawrence19741983Civic League}}"Fowler
Civic League}}"Gavin Wilson19831986Civic League}}"Lawrence
New Zealand Labour Party}}"Helene Ritchie19861988New Zealand Labour Party}}"Belich
New Zealand Labour Party}}"Terry McDavitt19881989
David Watt19891995New Zealand Labour Party}}"
New Zealand Labour Party}}"Wilde
Independent politician}}"Kerry Prendergast19952001Independent politician}}"Blumsky
New Zealand Labour Party}}"Alick Shaw20012007Independent politician}}"Prendergast
Independent politician}}"Ian McKinnon20072013
Independent politician}}"Independent politician}}"Wade-Brown
New Zealand Labour Party}}"Justin Lester20132016
New Zealand Labour Party}}"Paul Eagle20162017New Zealand Labour Party}}"Lester
Independent politician}}"Jill Day201724 October 2019
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand}}"Sarah Free24 October 201921 October 2022Independent politician}}"Foster
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand}}"Laurie Foon21 October 202229 October 2025Independent politician}}"Whanau
New Zealand Labour Party}}"Ben McNulty29 October 2025IncumbentNew Zealand Labour Party}}"Little

Timeline

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Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.5) id:Ind value:rgb(0.87,0.87,0.87) legend:Independent id:Lab value:rgb(0.85,0.16,0.13) legend:Labour id:Cit value:rgb(0.60,0.60,0.99) legend:Citizens' id:gray1 value:gray(0.8) id:gray2 value:gray(0.9) Legend = columns:3 left:205 top:35 columnwidth:150

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1842 till:01/01/2033 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = gridcolor:gray1 unit:year increment:10 start:01/01/1845 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:gray2 unit:year increment:2 start:01/01/1843

Define $now = //

TextData = pos:(20,40) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:"Political parties:"

BarData = bar:Hunter bar:Guyton bar:Dransfield bar:Borlase bar:Moorhouse bar:Hutchison bar:Allen bar:Fisher bar:AWBrown bar:SBrown bar:Duthie bar:Johnston bar:Bell bar:Brandon bar:CLuke bar:Blair bar:Aitken bar:TWHislop bar:Newman bar:Wilford bar:McLaren bar:JLuke bar:Wright bar:Norwood bar:Troup bar:THislop bar:Appleton bar:Macalister bar:Kitts bar:Fowler bar:Lawrence bar:Belich bar:Wilde bar:Blumsky bar:Prendergast bar:Wade-Brown bar:Lester bar:Foster bar:Whanau bar:Little

PlotData= width:7 align:left fontsize:M shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

bar:Hunter from: 03/10/1842 till: 19/07/1843 color:Ind text:"Hunter" fontsize:10 bar:Guyton from: 28/07/1843 till: 09/12/1843 color:Ind text:"Guyton" fontsize:10 bar:Dransfield from: 28/09/1870 till: 17/12/1873 color:Ind from: 19/12/1877 till: 09/05/1879 color:Ind text:"Dransfield" fontsize:10 bar:Borlase from: 08/01/1874 till: 28/01/1875 color:Ind text:"Borlase" fontsize:10 bar:Moorhouse from: 28/01/1875 till: 01/12/1875 color:Ind text:"Moorhouse" fontsize:10 bar:Hutchison from: 15/12/1875 till: 19/12/1877 color:Ind from: 27/05/1879 till: 30/11/1881 color:Ind text:"Hutchison" fontsize:10 bar:Allen from: 10/05/1879 till: 27/05/1879 color:Ind text:"Allen" fontsize:10 bar:Fisher from: 30/11/1881 till: 17/12/1885 color:Ind from: 19/12/1895 till: 16/12/1896 color:Ind text:"Fisher" fontsize:10 bar:AWBrown from: 17/12/1885 till: 15/12/1886 color:Ind from: 23/12/1890 till: 16/12/1891 color:Ind text:"A. Brown" fontsize:10 bar:SBrown from: 15/12/1886 till: 27/12/1888 color:Ind text:"S. Brown" fontsize:10 bar:Duthie from: 27/12/1888 till: 19/12/1889 color:Ind text:"Duthie" fontsize:10 bar:Johnston from: 19/12/1889 till: 23/12/1890 color:Ind text:"Johnston" fontsize:10 bar:Bell from: 16/12/1891 till: 20/12/1893 color:Ind from: 16/12/1896 till: 15/12/1897 color:Ind text:"Bell" fontsize:10 bar:Brandon from: 20/12/1893 till: 20/12/1894 color:Ind text:"Brandon" fontsize:10 bar:CLuke from: 20/12/1894 till: 19/12/1895 color:Ind text:"C. Luke" fontsize:10 bar:Blair from: 21/12/1897 till: 21/12/1899 color:Ind text:"Blair" fontsize:10 bar:Aitken from: 21/12/1899 till: 04/05/1905 color:Ind text:"Aitken" fontsize:10 bar:TWHislop from: 04/05/1905 till: 05/05/1909 color:Ind text:"T. W. Hislop" fontsize:10 bar:Newman from: 05/05/1909 till: 05/05/1910 color:Ind text:"Newman" fontsize:10 bar:Wilford from: 05/05/1910 till: 02/05/1912 color:Cit text:"Wilford" fontsize:10 bar:McLaren from: 02/05/1912 till: 08/05/1913 color:Lab text:"McLaren" fontsize:10 bar:JLuke from: 08/05/1913 till: 11/05/1921 color:Cit text:"Luke" fontsize:10 bar:Wright from: 11/05/1921 till: 13/05/1925 color:Cit text:"Wright" fontsize:10 bar:Norwood from: 13/05/1925 till: 11/05/1927 color:Cit text:"Norwood" fontsize:10 bar:Troup from: 11/05/1927 till: 20/05/1931 color:Cit text:"Troup" fontsize:10 bar:THislop from: 20/05/1931 till: 14/06/1944 color:Cit text:"T. Hislop" fontsize:10 bar:Appleton from: 19/06/1944 till: 06/12/1950 color:Cit text:"Appleton" fontsize:10 bar:Macalister from: 06/12/1950 till: 06/12/1956 color:Cit text:"Macalister" fontsize:10 bar:Kitts from: 06/12/1956 till: 13/11/1974 color:Lab text:"Kitts" fontsize:10 bar:Fowler from: 13/11/1974 till: 26/10/1983 color:Cit text:"Fowler" fontsize:10 bar:Lawrence from: 26/10/1983 till: 30/10/1986 color:Cit text:"Lawrence" fontsize:10 bar:Belich from: 30/10/1986 till: 10/10/1992 color:Lab text:"Belich" fontsize:10 bar:Wilde from: 10/10/1992 till: 14/10/1995 color:Lab text:"Wilde" fontsize:10 bar:Blumsky from: 14/10/1995 till: 13/10/2001 color:Ind text:"Blumsky" fontsize:10 bar:Prendergast from: 13/10/2001 till: 27/10/2010 color:Ind text:"Prendergast" fontsize:10 bar:Wade-Brown from: 27/10/2010 till: 10/10/2016 color:Ind text:"Wade-Brown" fontsize:10 bar:Lester from: 10/10/2016 till: 19/10/2019 color:Lab text:"Lester" fontsize:10 bar:Foster from: 19/10/2019 till: 15/10/2022 color:Ind text:"Foster" fontsize:10 bar:Whanau from: 15/10/2022 till: 17/10/2025 color:Ind text:"Whanau" fontsize:10 bar:Little from: 17/10/2025 till: $now color:Lab text:"Little" fontsize:10

Notes

References

Sources

  • The Birth of a City: Wellington 1840–1843 by A. H. Carman (1970, Wright & Carman, Wellington)
  • No Mean City by Stuart Perry (1969 booklet, Wellington City Council) includes a paragraph and a portrait or photo of each mayor, including Hunter & Guyton.

References

  1. [https://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2025/0140/latest/LMS1450171.html Local Government Elected Members (2025/26) Determination 2025]
  2. (21 October 1875). "Municipal Corporations Acts Amendment Act 1875". [[University of Auckland]].
  3. (19 December 1874). "The Election of Mayor". [[The New Zealand Times]].
  4. "Wellington election: Tory Whanau 'humbled' to be new mayor". [[Newshub]].
  5. George, Damian. (24 October 2019). "Sarah Free beats Diane Calvert to win Wellington's deputy mayoralty".
  6. (21 October 2022). "Councillor Laurie Foon to be Wellington’s new Deputy Mayor".
  7. (29 October 2025). "Capital’s incoming Mayor announces Deputy and key committees".
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