1983 Wellington mayoral election

The 1983 Wellington mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1983, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government positions including eighteen city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Background The election saw deputy mayor Ian Lawrence voted in as the new Mayor of Wellington to replace Sir Michael Fowler who had retired. Lawrence retained the Mayoralty for the Citizens' Association, seeing off a challenge from high-profile Labour Party councillor Helene Ritchie. Given Lawrence's quiet style and low profile compared to Ritchie's more marked public reputation, most commentators and pollsters were predicting a very close result. The eventual outcome was a surprise to many with Lawrence winning by a margin exceeding 8,000 votes, with media dubbing him "Landslide Lawrence". Ritchie retrospectively blamed her loss on an "anti-woman vote".

The 1983 election was also notable as it saw former Citizens' councillor Leone Harkness re-elected to the council as an independent candidate, the first time a candidate without an official party ticket had been elected to the council since Berkeley Dallard in 1950. It also saw Jenny Brough (later Harris) retain her seat on the council after defecting from Labour in 1982. It also marked the last time in Wellington where local body elections elected councillors at large.

Mayoralty results

Results by localityLocality Lawrence Ritchie Harkness Bullock Moncur Winner Onslow College 333 159 97 7 4 Lawrence Johnsonville West School 228 64 56 4 0 Lawrence Johnsonville Emergency Centre 122 127 36 3 1 Ritchie Johnsonville Community Centre 243 162 61 4 1 Lawrence Johnsonville School 298 163 113 3 1 Lawrence Paparangi School 186 105 73 2 2 Lawrence Rewa Rewa School 151 72 44 1 2 Lawrence White's Garage 56 23 6 0 1 Lawrence Bellvue School 161 63 41 3 0 Lawrence Centennial Hall 375 211 102 3 2 Lawrence Newlands Tennis Club 68 40 20 0 0 Lawrence Wallace's Garage 49 33 23 2 0 Lawrence Churton Park School 202 57 65 2 0 Lawrence Downer & Co. 52 14 14 2 1 Lawrence Dragon St. Cafeteria 17 18 2 0 0 Ritchie Ohariu Hall 50 33 15 0 0 Lawrence Raumati Beach School 12 9 6 0 0 Lawrence Cashmere Avenue School 219 75 64 5 0 Lawrence Khandallah Scout Hall 225 50 55 1 0 Lawrence St Barnabas Parish Hall 139 36 36 0 2 Lawrence Khandallah Town Hall 907 251 165 7 2 Lawrence Khandallah Masonic Hall 177 50 38 3 1 Lawrence Ngaio School 46 43 11 0 1 Lawrence Ngaio Kindergarten 115 64 32 2 0 Lawrence Ngaio Town Hall 519 266 149 8 7 Lawrence Union Church Hall 98 47 26 2 1 Lawrence Ngaio Playcentre 90 43 15 0 0 Lawrence Chartwell School 90 32 16 5 0 Lawrence Wilton School 180 121 57 11 1 Lawrence Wadestown School 78 44 27 2 0 Lawrence St Luke's Hall 428 235 172 18 0 Lawrence Thorndon Masonic Hall 125 75 51 8 0 Lawrence Talavera Tennis Club 33 35 11 3 0 Ritchie St Andrew's Hall 105 63 32 2 0 Lawrence Victoria University 95 116 46 12 1 Ritchie Kelburn Church Hall 300 271 161 20 2 Lawrence Kelburn Normal School 82 76 40 2 1 Lawrence Presbyterian Church Hall 57 55 29 2 1 Lawrence Methodist Church Hall 218 143 103 8 5 Lawrence Northland School 132 108 52 6 1 Lawrence Coad's Garage 110 47 24 1 2 Lawrence Karori Masonic Hall 140 70 46 4 0 Lawrence Sprott House 269 56 76 9 2 Lawrence St Mary's Parish Hall 245 74 75 2 1 Lawrence Karori School 643 174 178 10 1 Lawrence St John's Methodist Hall 486 185 133 8 5 Lawrence Karori Pavilion 176 80 80 7 1 Lawrence Karori West School 407 202 150 7 2 Lawrence Makara Community Centre 36 27 15 8 0 Lawrence Macalister Park 94 58 25 3 0 Lawrence Kingston School 67 23 14 0 0 Lawrence Ridgeway School 144 86 49 7 0 Lawrence Vogelmorn Public Hall 67 40 18 1 0 Lawrence Brooklyn Baptist Hall 261 179 104 8 2 Lawrence Brooklyn Community Centre 109 108 27 6 0 Lawrence St Matthew's Hall 166 111 51 8 1 Lawrence Aro Valley Community Hall 133 317 75 18 1 Ritchie Webb St. Depot 127 118 39 7 0 Lawrence Willis St. Clinic 84 73 25 3 0 Lawrence St John's Church Hall 88 113 40 3 2 Ritchie Wellington Cathedral 91 98 33 2 1 Ritchie Wellington Girls' College 50 52 27 2 0 Ritchie Queen Margaret College 106 42 29 2 0 Lawrence Wesley Church Hall 35 33 19 2 1 Lawrence Wellington Polytechnic 59 78 38 7 0 Ritchie Samoan Assembly of God 121 184 41 7 6 Ritchie Berhampore School 120 161 68 6 1 Ritchie Island Bay Church Hall 306 184 88 21 2 Lawrence Island Bay Surf Club 55 38 15 1 0 Lawrence Island Bay School 170 115 51 13 1 Lawrence St Hilda's Church Hall 298 135 69 10 5 Lawrence Owhiro Bay School 73 76 24 3 2 Ritchie Houghton Valley School 67 58 29 3 2 Lawrence Church of the Transfiguration 62 59 41 4 1 Lawrence Newtown Fire Station 84 141 30 4 5 Ritchie Salvation Army Hall 169 157 48 6 1 Lawrence Newtown School 195 312 83 11 9 Ritchie Wellington Hospital 78 89 31 0 0 Ritchie Southern Cross Scout Hall 55 37 11 3 1 Lawrence Methodist Church Hall 143 156 51 6 1 Ritchie Rongotai College 154 143 42 7 3 Lawrence Maranui Surf Lifesaving Club 147 92 66 9 11 Lawrence Lyall Bay School 198 99 59 10 5 Lawrence St Giles' Hall 263 161 61 10 4 Lawrence All Saints' Church Hall 107 37 12 1 1 Lawrence Samoan Methodist Church Hall 339 190 124 21 8 Lawrence Sea Cadet Hall 50 15 24 1 0 Lawrence Haitaitai School 309 143 83 5 0 Lawrence Roseneath Church Hall 92 37 36 4 0 Lawrence St Barnabas Church Hall 143 76 47 1 4 Lawrence Freyberg Pool 198 80 45 11 3 Lawrence Central Fire Station 168 142 55 8 1 Lawrence Congregational Church Hall 105 150 45 6 0 Ritchie St Mark's Church Hall 98 57 35 3 1 Lawrence Miramar South School 152 80 49 4 0 Lawrence Miramar Central School 548 265 130 17 5 Lawrence Miramar North School 126 90 44 4 0 Lawrence Marist Brothers' School 271 113 78 9 3 Lawrence Miramar Co-op. Hall 199 98 43 3 2 Lawrence St Christopher's Hall 48 53 39 3 0 Ritchie Strathmore Park School 324 159 69 5 1 Lawrence Breaker Bay Progressive Assn. Hall 30 24 8 4 1 Lawrence Seatoun School 438 89 73 9 0 Lawrence St George's Hall 141 43 42 4 1 Lawrence Worser Bay Life Saving Club 47 23 16 6 1 Lawrence Worser Bay School 150 48 54 11 0 Lawrence Town Hall 455 399 203 25 2 Lawrence Postal votes 666 327 189 15 6 Lawrence Hospital votes 124 99 21 6 8 Lawrence Special votes 612 546 184 25 4 Lawrence Total 19,952 11,876 6,208 643 177 Lawrence

Councillor results

Table footnotes:

References