# List of by-elections to the Auckland City Council

By-elections to the Auckland City Council occur to fill vacant seats in the City Council. The death, resignation, bankruptcy or expulsion of a sitting Councillor can cause a by-election to occur.

## Background

Local by-elections usually had a lower turnout compared to full local body elections. A notorious example occurred in August 1961 when a vacancy triggered the second by-election in under a year which had a turnout of only 3.65% of voters, prompting Mayor Dove-Myer Robinson to label the light turnout "...absolutely disgraceful. By failing to exercise their democratic right the public is just asking Parliament to take away from them the right to vote". By-elections on the city council were on occasion deferred if a substantial majority of the council agreed to fill the vacancy by appointment, resulting in the highest polling unsuccessful candidate at the previous election being appointed to the council unless there is a public demand for a poll to be held (known as extraordinary vacancies). This arrangement has happened several times such as in 1940 when Charles Bailey resigned his seat which was taken by Harry Butcher and March 1953 when Arthur Bailey died and his seat was taken by Bob Beechey.
Two future Mayors of Auckland (John Allum and Dove-Myer Robinson) entered the council via by-elections in 1920 and 1952 respectively.

## List of by-elections

Between 1903 and 1986 municipal elections in Auckland were conducted at-large. Between 1986 and 2010 municipal elections in Auckland were held via a Wards system of local electoral districts. The following is a list of by-elections held to fill vacancies on the Auckland City Council:
Key
| Independent | Labour | Citizens & Ratepayers | United Independents | Civic Reform | Alliance |
| Ward | Date | Incumbent | Cause | Winner |
| At-large | 2 April 1908 | Robert Stopford | Resignation | John Patterson |
| At-large | 14 October 1909 | Moncrieff Murray McCallum | Resignation | Ralph Thomas Michaels |
| At-large | 18 May 1910 | Lemuel Bagnall | Resignation | Henry Shaw |
| At-large | 2 September 1910 | Herbert Smeeton | Resignation | Jonathan Trevethick |
| At-large | 18 November 1920 | Ernest Davis | Resignation | John Allum |
| At-large | 18 November 1920 | Andrew Entrican | Resignation | George Hutchison |
| At-large | 22 December 1921 | Patrick Nerheny | Death | George Davis |
| At-large | 28 April 1922 | Harold Dennett Heather | Death | Alfred Lawry |
| At-large | 28 April 1922 | Peter Mitchell Mackay | Death | Samuel Crookes |
| At-large | 25 October 1922 | Horatio Bagnall | Death | Christopher Furness |
| At-large | 7 November 1928 | Frederick Brinsden | Death | Tom Bloodworth |
| At-large | 27 May 1936 | John William Yarnall | Death | Jim Purtell |
| At-large | 6 July 1938 | George Richardson | Death | Charles Bailey |
| At-large | 5 April 1952 | Howard Hunter | Expulsion | Dove-Myer Robinson |
| At-large | 16 October 1954 | Fred Ambler | Expulsion | Fred Ambler |
| At-large | 16 October 1954 | Bruce Barnett | Resignation | Val Chapman |
| At-large | 14 December 1957 | Keith Buttle | Resignation | Wilfred Fortune |
| At-large | 4 October 1958 | Howard Hunter | Death | Charlie Passmore |
| At-large | 4 February 1961 | James Neil Bradley | Death | Val Chapman |
| At-large | 26 August 1961 | Mary Dreaver | Death | Howard Jeffreys |
| At-large | 20 April 1963 | Tom Pearce | Expulsion | Tom Pearce |
| At-large | 20 April 1963 | Fred de Malmanche | Resignation | William Grant-Mackie |
| At-large | 10 February 1979 | Bill Barrett | Death | Richard Northey |
| Avondale | 5 December 1987 | Barry Donovan | Death | Brian Maude |
| Central | 12 November 1988 | Harold Goodman | Death | Sue Corbett |
| Maungakiekie | 4 May 1991 | Grahame Thorne | Resignation | Ken Graham |
| Hauraki Gulf Islands | 28 May 1994 | Sandra Lee | Resignation | Gordon Hodson |
| Avondale-Roskill | 11 November 2000 | Phil Raffills | Death | Noelene Raffills |
| Avondale-Roskill | 9 April 2008 | Linda Leighton | Death | John Lister |

## Results
### 1908 by-election

1908 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Citizens | John Patterson | 1,461 | 40.78 | +6.41 |
| | Independent | George Read | 966 | 26.96 | |
| | Independent | George Gregory | 612 | 17.08 | +0.75 |
| | Independent | Samuel White | 242 | 6.75 | |
| | Ind. Labour League | William Rowland | 217 | 6.05 | −7.29 |
| | Independent | Rupert Mantell | 40 | 1.11 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 44 | 1.22 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 495 | 13.81 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,582 | 17.90 | −21.20 |

### 1909 by-election

1909 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Citizens | Ralph Thomas Michaels | 1,436 | 51.98 | +11.76 |
| | Independent | John Mitchell | 738 | 26.34 | |
| | Ind. Labour League | Thomas Walsh | 314 | 11.21 | |
| | Independent | William Black | 194 | 6.92 | −9.13 |
| | Independent | Joseph George Haddow | 39 | 6.92 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 80 | 2.85 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 718 | 25.63 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,801 | 14.36 | |

### May 1910 by-election

May 1910 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Citizens | Henry Shaw | 1,662 | 54.94 | +7.83 |
| | Independent | Ernest William Burton | 828 | 27.37 | |
| | Independent | William Richardson | 318 | 10.51 | |
| | Independent | Thomas Harkins | 201 | 6.64 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 16 | 0.52 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 834 | 27.57 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,025 | 15.92 | |

### September 1910 by-election

September 1910 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Citizens | Jonathan Trevethick | 1,420 | 60.68 | |
| | Independent | Ernest William Burton | 902 | 38.54 | +11.17 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 18 | 0.76 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 518 | 22.13 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,340 | 12.31 | |

### 1920 by-election

1920 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Citizens' | George Hutchinson | 3,495 | 67.93 | |
| | Progressive Citizens' | John Allum | 3,115 | 60.54 | |
| | Independent | James Dickson | 2,568 | 49.91 | |
| | Labour | Ted Phelan | 2,316 | 45.01 | +7.00 |
| | Labour | Oscar McBrine | 2,222 | 43.18 | +8.15 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 70 | 1.36 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 547 | 10.63 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,145 | | |

### 1921 by-election

1921 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Davis | 1,205 | 47.57 | +7.70 |
| | Progressive Citizens' | Eric Inder | 1,186 | 46.82 | +1.03 |
| | Independent | Ernest Clark | 142 | 5.60 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19 | 0.75 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,533 | | |

### April 1922 by-election

April 1922 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Citizens' | Alfred Lawry | 3,286 | 30.28 | |
| | Progressive Citizens' | Samuel Crookes | 3,246 | 29.91 | |
| | Labour | Ted Phelan | 2,245 | 20.68 | −13.60 |
| | Labour | Dick Barter | 2,075 | 19.12 | −7.77 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,001 | 9.22 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,426 | 15.10 | |

### October 1922 by-election

October 1922 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Christopher H. Furness | 1,984 | 37.99 |
| | Progressive Citizens' | Dick Thompson | 1,657 | 31.73 |
| | Labour | Jeremiah James Sullivan | 1,581 | 30.27 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 327 | 6.26 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,222 | 14.50 |

### 1928 by-election

1928 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tom Bloodworth | 4,350 | 55.56 | +21.63 |
| | Progressive Citizens' | John Lundon | 2,870 | 36.65 | +7.26 |
| | Independent | Harold Schmidt | 693 | 8.85 | +0.82 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,480 | 18.90 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,829 | 19.18 | |

### 1936 by-election

1936 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jim Purtell | 4,146 | 59.42 | +18.16 |
| | Citizens & Ratepayers | William Lang Casey | 2,233 | 32.00 | |
| | Independent | James Payne | 543 | 7.78 | +2.02 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 55 | 0.78 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,913 | 27.41 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,977 | | |

### 1938 by-election

1936 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Bailey | 11,434 | 51.32 | +16.36 |
| | Citizens & Ratepayers | Harry Butcher | 10,758 | 48.28 | +6.02 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 87 | 0.39 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 676 | 3.03 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,279 | | |

### 1952 by-election

1952 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Dove-Myer Robinson | 4,874 | 45.21 | |
| | Labour | Richard Wrathall | 3,761 | 34.89 | +0.73 |
| | Citizens & Ratepayers | Aubrey Tronson | 2,144 | 19.89 | −14.95 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,113 | 10.32 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,779 | 11.42 | |

### 1954 by-election

1954 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Citizens & Ratepayers | Fred Ambler | 4,523 | 29.13 | −13.48 |
| | United Independents | Val Chapman | 3,816 | 24.58 | |
| | Labour | Edith Williams | 3,127 | 20.14 | −7.74 |
| | Labour | Ronald Akersten | 2,901 | 18.68 | −10.94 |
| | Independent | George Mullenger | 1,139 | 7.33 | +1.17 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 17 | 0.10 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 689 | 4.43 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,523 | 16.38 | |

### 1957 by-election

1957 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Citizens & Ratepayers | Wilfred Fortune | 3,675 | 39.20 | |
| | Labour | William Grant-Mackie | 2,011 | 21.45 | −9.66 |
| | United Independents | Frederick Johnston | 1,248 | 13.31 | −16.10 |
| | Independent | Roy Turner | 832 | 8.87 | |
| | Independent | Charles Fisher | 518 | 5.52 | −21.42 |
| | Independent | Mary Dawson-Wright | 445 | 4.74 | |
| | Independent | Richard Armstrong | 327 | 3.48 | |
| | Independent | George Mullenger | 304 | 3.24 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 13 | 0.13 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,664 | 17.75 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,373 | | |

### 1958 by-election

1958 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Citizens & Ratepayers | Charlie Passmore | 2,431 | 41.23 | |
| | Labour | William Grant-Mackie | 1,473 | 24.98 | +3.53 |
| | Independent | Roy Turner | 989 | 16.77 | +7.90 |
| | United Independents | Frederick Johnston | 975 | 16.53 | +3.22 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 27 | 0.45 | +0.32 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 958 | 16.25 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,895 | 8.11 | |

### February 1961 by-election

February 1961 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Civic Reform | Val Chapman | 2,475 | 56.14 |
| | Independent | Cecil Paine | 460 | 10.43 |
| | Communist | Rita Smith | 380 | 8.62 |
| | Independent | Raymond Barker | 339 | 7.69 |
| | Independent | Mary Dawson-Wright | 267 | 6.05 |
| | Independent | George Mullenger | 251 | 5.69 |
| | Independent | Harold Barry | 236 | 5.35 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,015 | 45.71 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,408 | 5.80 |

### August 1961 by-election

August 1961 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Howard Jeffreys | 2,203 | 84.86 | +51.02 |
| | Communist | Rita Smith | 341 | 13.13 | +4.51 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 52 | 2.00 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,862 | 71.72 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,596 | 3.65 | |

### 1963 by-election

1963 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Citizens & Ratepayers | Tom Pearce | 2,766 | 27.64 | −9.14 |
| | Civic Reform | William Grant-Mackie | 2,672 | 26.70 | −6.54 |
| | Citizens & Ratepayers | Clifton Keegan | 2,517 | 25.15 | −9.89 |
| | Labour | Thomas Price | 1,205 | 12.04 | −7.13 |
| | Communist | Bill Andersen | 454 | 4.53 | −14.82 |
| | Communist | George Jackson | 363 | 3.62 | −5.36 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 27 | 0.26 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 155 | 1.54 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,004 | 12.50 | |

### 1979 by-election

1979 Auckland City Council by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Richard Northey | 2,798 | 41.20 | +6.89 |
| | Citizens & Ratepayers | Kevin Ryan | 1,538 | 22.64 | |
| | Independent | Bute Hewes | 1,386 | 20.40 | |
| | Independent | Phil Warren | 595 | 8.76 | |
| | Independent | Matthew Connor | 264 | 3.88 | −13.95 |
| | Cheer Up | Vince Terreni | 210 | 3.09 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,260 | 18.55 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,791 | | |

### 1987 by-election, Avondale Ward

1987 Avondale Ward by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Brian Maude | 1,612 | 38.65 | |
| | Independent | Jan Grefstad | 896 | 21.48 | |
| | Citizens & Ratepayers | Sefulu Ioane | 849 | 20.35 | −17.16 |
| | Labour | Nora Rameka | 813 | 19.49 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 716 | 17.17 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,170 | | |

### 1988 by-election, Central Ward

1988 Central Ward by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Citizens & Ratepayers | Sue Corbett | 1,172 | 32.82 | |
| | Independent | Ross Baxter | 969 | 27.14 | |
| | Independent | Peter Boys | 732 | 20.50 | |
| | Independent | Peter Beyer | 419 | 11.73 | |
| | Independent | Alan Clay | 144 | 4.03 | |
| | Independent | Raymond Hyams | 134 | 3.75 | −18.29 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 203 | 5.68 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,570 | 28.38 | |

### 1991 by-election, Maungakiekie Ward

1991 Maungakiekie Ward by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Citizens & Ratepayers | Ken Graham | 3,536 | 37.70 | |
| | Labour | Richard Northey | 1,723 | 18.37 | |
| | Green | Laurie Ross | 1,507 | 16.07 | |
| | Independent | Peter Boys | 1,356 | 14.46 | |
| | Independent | Andrew Stanley | 1,255 | 13.38 | −7.59 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,813 | 19.33 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,377 | | |

### 1994 by-election, Hauraki Gulf Islands Ward

1994 Hauraki Gulf Islands Ward by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Gordon Hodson | 964 | 33.42 | |
| | Independent | Greg Davenport | 845 | 29.29 | |
| | Independent | Robert Shadbolt | 274 | 9.50 | |
| | Independent | Bruce Marx | 261 | 9.04 | |
| | Community Independent | Peta Dubbelman | 172 | 5.96 | |
| | Independent | Robyn Storey | 136 | 4.71 | |
| | Independent | Ian Andrews | 102 | 3.53 | |
| | Independent | John Cranstoun | 66 | 2.28 | −23.84 |
| | Independent | Frederick Boric | 64 | 2.21 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 119 | 4.12 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,884 | | |

### 2000 by-election, Avondale/Roskill Ward

Avondale/Roskill Ward by-election, 2000 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Citizens & Ratepayers | Noelene Raffills | 7,041 | 35.48 |
| | Independent | Penny Bright | 6,273 | 31.61 |
| | City Vision | Doug Mansill | 2,396 | 12.07 |
| | Independent | Kathy Henderson | 1,829 | 9.21 |
| | Independent | Duncan McDonald | 1,454 | 7.32 |
| | Independent | Jan Grefsted | 851 | 4.28 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 768 | 3.87 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,844 | 36.33 |

### 2008 by-election, Avondale/Roskill Ward

Avondale/Roskill Ward by-election, 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Citizens & Ratepayers | John Lister | 4,710 | 29.01 | |
| | City Vision | Catherine Farmer | 4,296 | 26.46 | |
| | Independent | Paul Davie | 2,637 | 16.24 | |
| | Independent | Feleti Key | 1,641 | 10.11 | −3.45 |
| | Independent | Mohammad Tauqir Khan | 1,063 | 6.54 | −2.97 |
| | Independent | Gillian Bagnall | 719 | 4.42 | |
| | Independent | John Williams | 569 | 3.50 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 414 | 2.55 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,231 | 26.10 | |