Wikipedia

Mayor of Napier

The mayor of Napier is the head of the municipal government of Napier, New Zealand, and presides over the Napier City Council. Napier is New Zealand's ninth largest city. The first mayor was elected in 1875. The current mayor is Richard McGrath.[1]

Mayor of Napier
Coat of arms of Napier
Incumbent
Richard McGrath[1]
since 2025
StyleHis/Her Worship
Term lengthThree years, renewable
Inaugural holderRobert Stuart
Formation1875
DeputyGraeme Taylor
WebsiteOfficial website

History

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The Māori sold a block of land called Ahuriri in 1851, and in 1853 Donald McLean bought the site that later became Napier. Alfred Domett, a future Prime Minister of New Zealand, was appointed as the Commissioner of Crown Lands and the resident magistrate at the village of Ahuriri. It was decided to place a planned town here, its streets and avenues were laid out, and the new town named for Sir Charles Napier.[2]

The area initially fell under the control of the Wellington Province. The New Provinces Act, 1858 created the Hawke's Bay Province and Napier became its capital. Superintendent John Davies Ormond worked towards Napier becoming self-governing, and it was designated as a borough in 1874. The first election for a borough council were held on 18 January 1875. Nine councillors were elected from 22 contestants, and the councillors chose Robert Stuart from their group as their first mayor. Stuart was mayor until December 1878.[2][3]

John Vautier succeeded Stuart from December 1878 until May 1882. At the first borough election in 1875, he had been the highest polling councillor. He was succeeded by Dr William Isaac Spencer from June 1882 to December 1885.[3]

George Swan began his long mayoralty in December 1885. He held it until April 1901; at that time, he had the longest continuous mayoralty in New Zealand.[4]

John McVay succeeded Swan and was mayor from April 1901 to April 1902. Frederic Wanklyn Williams was mayor in 1902–1904.[3][5][6]

Samuel Carnell succeeded McVay in 1904. He was mayor until 1907.[3][7]

Vigor Brown was first elected mayor in 1907. During this first period, he retained the mayoralty for ten years until 1917.[7] He was succeeded by Henry Hill, who had made his name in the Hawke's Bay as a school inspector and educationalist. Hill held the mayoralty from 1917 to 1919.[8] Brown had a second period as mayor from 1919 to 1921, and was succeeded by J B Andrew from 1921 to 1927. Brown succeeded Andrew for his third period, this time from 1927 to 1933.[7] The 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake fell into Brown's last period, and temporary governance arrangement included a Napier Citizens' Control Committee, followed by a two-man Government Commission. John Barton and L. B. Campbell were farewelled by the mayor in May 1933, when their term ended and the municipal affairs once again rested with the borough council.[2][9] The resulting mayoral election was contested by the incumbent and C O Morse, the chairman of the Earthquake Relief Committee.[10] The election caused great interest, and Morse and Brown received 4110 and 1808 votes, respectively. At the time, mayoral elections were held every two years, but the 1931 election had been skipped due to the earthquake.[11][12]

Morse was mayor until 1938, defeated by Bill Hercock[13] who had a twelve-year term (1938–1950). E R Spriggs succeeded Hercock from 1950 to 1956.[7]

Peter Tait was mayor from 1956 to 1974.[7] He was knighted the year after he ceased being mayor.

Barbara Arnot was first elected in 2001.[14] Bill Dalton succeeded her in 2013.

Members of Parliament

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Four Napier mayors have also served as Members of Parliament. All four represented the Napier electorate in the House of Representatives:[15]

Lists of office holders

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Mayors

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Name Image Term Notes
1 Robert Stuart 1875–1878 short bio
2 John Vautier 1878–1882 short bio
3 Dr William Isaac Spencer 1882–1885 short bio
4 George Swan 1885–1901 [4]
5 John C. McVay 1901–1902 short bio
6 Frederic Williams 1902–1904 autobiography
7 Samuel Carnell 1904–1907 short bio
8 Vigor Brown 1907–1917 short bio
9 Henry Hill 1917–1919 [8]
(8) Vigor Brown 1919–1921 second period
10 John Blight Andrew 1921–1927 obituary
(8) Vigor Brown 1927–1933 third period
11 Charles Ormond Morse 1933–1938
12 Bill Hercock 1938–1950
13 Ron Spriggs 1950–1956
14 Sir Peter Tait 1956–1974
15 Clyde Jeffery 1974–1983 cemetery
16 Dave Prebensen 1983–1989
17 Alan Dick 1989–2001
18 Barbara Arnott 2001–2013
19 Bill Dalton 2013–2019
20 Kirsten Wise 2019–2025
21 Richard McGrath[1] 2025–present

Deputy mayors

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† Died in office

Name Term Mayor
H. P. Cohen c. July 1902[16] Williams
H. P. Cohen c. May 1903[17]
H. P. Cohen c. March 1904[18]
M. W. P. Lascelles c. July 1904[19] Carnell
M. W. P. Lascelles 1904–1905[20][21]
William James McGrath fl.1905[22]
James Spence 1906–c. 1907[23][24]
William Plowman c. 1908–1917[25][26][27] Brown
Arthur McCarthy 1917–1918[†][28][29] Hill
P. Ashcroft 1918–1923[30][31] Hill
Brown
Andrew
Andrew
William James McGrath 1923–1925[32][33]
Clement Roy Spackman 1925–1927[34][35]
R. W. Goodger 1927–1933[36][37] Brown
Alfred Ernest Bedford 1933–1934[38][39] Morse
A. H. Ferguson (acting) 1934[39]
Alfred Ernest Bedford 1934–1935[40]
A. H. D. Mayne 1935–1938[40][41]
Alfred Ernest Bedford 1938–1947[42][43] Hercock
H. W. Dowling 1947–1950[44][45]
P. Mooney 1950–?[46] Spriggs
Unknown c. 1950–1956
Wally Atherfold 1956–1962[47][48] Tait
Peter Cox 1962–1974[49]
Peggy Higgins 1974–?[50] Jeffery
Dave Prebensen 1980–1983
Peter Tong 1983–1986 Prebensen
Alan Dick 1986
David Marshall 1986–1989
Anne Tolley 1989–1995 Dick
Ian Dick 1995–2001
Kathie Furlong 2001–2013 Arnott
Faye White 2013–2019 Dalton
Annette Brosnan 2019–2025 Wise
Sally Crown[51] 2025–2026[52] McGrath
Roger Brownlie 2026[53]
Graeme Taylor 2026–present[54]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 "2025 Triennial Elections Declaration of Result" (PDF). Electionz. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "History of Napier City Council". Napier City Council. Archived from the original on 22 May 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 The Cyclopedia of New Zealand: Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay & Wellington Provincial Districts. Christchurch: Cyclopedia Company Limited. 1908. pp. 311–312.
  4. 1 2 The Cyclopedia of New Zealand: Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay & Wellington Provincial Districts. Christchurch: Cyclopedia Company Limited. 1908. p. 303.
  5. ↑ "Early Memories and After". Williams family. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
  6. ↑ "Giants of business to feature in the Port of Napier Hawke's Bay Business Hall of Fame". Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce. 9 July 2010. Archived from the original on 24 July 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Previous Mayors". City of Napier. Archived from the original on 22 May 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
  8. 1 2 Matthews, Kay Morris (22 June 2007). "Hill, Henry 1849–1933". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
  9. ↑ "Napier Commissioners". The Evening Post. Vol. CXV, no. 111. 13 May 1933. p. 12. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  10. ↑ "Contests at Napier". The Evening Post. Vol. CXV, no. 93. 21 April 1933. p. 8. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  11. ↑ "Results Elsewhere". The Evening Post. Vol. CXV, no. 103. 4 May 1933. p. 13. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  12. ↑ "Many new members chosen". The Evening Post. Vol. CXV, no. 103. 4 May 1933. p. 13. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  13. ↑ "News of the day". The Evening Post. Vol. CXXVI, no. 127. 25 November 1938. p. 8. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  14. ↑ Carpinter, Bernard (11 October 2010). "Napier mayor sails to triple victory". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
  15. ↑ Wilson, Jim (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
  16. ↑ "Untitled". Hawke's Bay Herald. Vol. XXXVII, no. 12179. 3 July 1902. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  17. ↑ "Napier Borough Council". The Daily Telegraph. No. 9853. 21 May 1903. p. 7. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  18. ↑ "Town Edition". The Daily Telegraph. No. 10093. 3 March 1904. p. 8. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  19. ↑ "Untitled". Hawke's Bay Herald. Vol. XXXIX, no. 12803. 7 July 1904. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  20. ↑ "Napier Borough Council". The Daily Telegraph. No. 10340. 22 December 1904. p. 7. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  21. ↑ "Personal". The Daily Telegraph. No. 10361. 19 January 1905. p. 5. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  22. ↑ "Napier Borough Council". The Daily Telegraph. No. 10558. 8 September 1905. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  23. ↑ "Napier Borough Council". The Daily Telegraph. No. 10752. 3 May 1906. p. 7. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  24. ↑ "Page 8 Advertisements Column 4". The Daily Telegraph. No. 11048. 23 April 1907. p. 8. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  25. ↑ "Untitled". The Daily Telegraph. 21 May 1908. p. 4. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  26. ↑ "Local and General". Hawke's Bay Tribune. Vol. VI, no. 216. 26 August 1916. p. 4. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  27. ↑ "Napier Borough Council". Hawke's Bay Tribune. Vol. VII, no. 117. 12 May 1917. p. 2. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  28. ↑ "Two Napier Cousins Killed in Action". Free Lance. Vol. XVI, no. 880. 18 May 1917. p. 21. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  29. ↑ "Influenza in Fiji". Auckland Star. Vol. XLIX, no. 286. 30 November 1918. p. 7. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  30. ↑ "Personal Items". Waipawa Mail. Vol. XXXVII, no. 8120. 19 December 1918. p. 2. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  31. ↑ "Personal". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. 53, no. 54. 6 April 1923. p. 5. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  32. ↑ "Personal". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. 53, no. 86. 15 May 1923. p. 5. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  33. ↑ "Conquering Heroes". Hawke's Bay Tribune. Vol. XV, no. 83. 20 March 1925. p. 5. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  34. ↑ "Sworn to Serve". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. 55, no. 79. 6 May 1925. p. 5. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  35. ↑ "Architectural plan, Cottage in France Road". MTG Hawke's Bay. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  36. ↑ "Mayoral Installation". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. 57, no. 77. 4 May 1927. p. 9. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  37. ↑ "Hawke's Bay Jottings". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. 63, no. 73. 29 April 1933. p. 4. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  38. ↑ "Local and General". Feilding Star. Vol. 10, no. 4057. 14 October 1933. p. 4. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  39. 1 2 "Untitled". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. 64, no. 29. 6 March 1934. p. 7. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  40. 1 2 "Napier Deputy-Mayor". Hawke's Bay Tribune. Vol. XXV, no. 132. 21 May 1935. p. 5. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  41. ↑ "Von Luckner to Visit Napier". Central Hawke's Bay Press. Vol. XXXIV, no. 55. 8 March 1938. p. 1. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  42. ↑ "Page 16 Advertisements Column 1". Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune. Vol. 82, no. 23. 20 October 1938. p. 16. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  43. ↑ "Desecration Of Anzac Day Deplored By Napier Speaker". Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune. Vol. 90, no. 182. 26 April 1947. p. 8. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  44. ↑ "Napier Mayor and Council Sworn In". Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune. Vol. 91, no. 59. 2 December 1947. p. 4. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  45. ↑ "Mainly for Women". Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune. Vol. 93, no. 142. 11 March 1950. p. 4. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  46. ↑ "New Napier Council Takes Office at Swearing-in Ceremony". Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune. Vol. 94, no. 58. 1 December 1950. p. 3. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  47. ↑ "Napier Councillors with Taupo Interests". Taupo Times. Vol. V, no. 253. 7 December 1956. p. 1. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  48. ↑ Fowler, Michael (31 March 2018). "Michael Fowler: Night excited Napier watched matinee idol's star rise". The New Zealand Herald. Hawke's Bay Today. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  49. ↑ "Peter David COX (1927 – 2019)". Knowledge Bank. Hawke's Bay Digital Archives Trust. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  50. ↑ "Fascination with history led to Queen's Medal". Hawke's Bay Today. 1999. Retrieved 9 April 2026 – via Knowledge Bank.
  51. ↑ Hamilton-Irvine, Gary (20 October 2025). "Local elections 2025: Deputy mayors chosen for Napier, Hastings, Wairoa; final regional councillor elected". Hawke's Bay Today. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  52. ↑ Hall, Linda (24 February 2026). "'Blindsided': Napier Mayor stands down deputy". Hawke's Bay Today. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  53. ↑ Hall, Linda (27 February 2026). "Napier Mayor Richard McGrath names Roger Brownlie as new Deputy Mayor after Sally Crown stood down". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  54. ↑ Laing, Doug (17 March 2026). "Napier councillors decide city's third deputy mayor in a month, Graeme Taylor". The New Zealand Herald. Hawke's Bay Today. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
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