# 1965 Christchurch mayoral election

The 1965 Christchurch mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1965, election were held for the Mayor of Christchurch plus other local government positions. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

## Background

Sitting mayor George Manning was re-elected for a fourth time, defeating his main opponent councillor Peter Skellerup of the Citizens' Association and two other candidates. Labour gained an extra seat on the city council, but lost it after special votes were counted. This left the composition of the council at seven seats to twelve in favour of the Citizens' Association.

## Mayoralty results

The following table gives the election results:
1965 Christchurch mayoral election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | George Manning | 17,163 | 62.45 | −3.89 |
| | Citizens' | Peter Skellerup | 9,220 | 33.55 | |
| | Independent | Tommy Armstrong | 530 | 1.92 | |
| | Workers' Action | John Sturt | 464 | 1.68 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 103 | 0.37 | −0.90 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,943 | 28.90 | −4.21 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,480 | 32.00 | −7.50 |

## Councillor results

1965 Christchurch local election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Citizens' | Ron Guthrey | 16,486 | 59.99 | +3.70 |
| Citizens' | Peter Skellerup | 14,681 | 53.42 | +0.98 |
| Labour | Reg Stillwell | 14,552 | 52.95 | +4.19 |
| Labour | Neville Pickering | 14,530 | 52.87 | −1.22 |
| Citizens' | Hamish Hay | 14,365 | 52.27 | −0.51 |
| Labour | Robert Macfarlane | 14,294 | 52.01 | −0.05 |
| Labour | Mabel Howard | 13,489 | 49.08 | −0.53 |
| Citizens' | Les Amos | 13,468 | 49.01 | |
| Citizens' | Maurice Carter | 13,260 | 48.25 | −1.55 |
| Citizens' | Bill Glue | 12,886 | 46.89 | −5.83 |
| Labour | Lyn Christie | 12,796 | 46.56 | +0.88 |
| Citizens' | Buster Cowles | 12,311 | 44.79 | |
| Labour | Harold Denton | 11,975 | 43.57 | −0.63 |
| Citizens' | Harold Smith | 11,718 | 42.64 | −5.23 |
| Citizens' | Alma Schumacher | 11,716 | 42.63 | −2.96 |
| Labour | Bill Mathison | 11,596 | 42.19 | |
| Citizens' | Bruce Britten | 11,565 | 42.08 | |
| Citizens' | William Ernest Olds | 11,521 | 41.92 | −5.00 |
| Citizens' | Gordon Hattaway | 11,359 | 41.33 | +1.48 |
| Labour | Ted Adcock | 11,272 | 41.01 | −0.05 |
| Citizens' | George Griffiths | 11,120 | 40.46 | −3.68 |
| Citizens' | Gordon Alison Guy Connal | 10,686 | 38.88 | −4.45 |
| Citizens' | Helen Garrett | 10,574 | 38.47 | |
| Citizens' | Reginald George Brown | 10,118 | 36.81 | −8.46 |
| Citizens' | Geoffrey Leonard Bradbury | 10,047 | 36.56 | |
| Citizens' | George Ronald Burrowes | 9,959 | 36.24 | |
| Labour | Reg Jones | 9,748 | 35.47 | −4.38 |
| Labour | Brian Alderdice | 9,590 | 34.89 | |
| Labour | Walter Baguley | 9,503 | 34.58 | |
| Labour | Reginald John Cunningham | 9,441 | 34.35 | |
| Labour | John F. Davidson | 9,403 | 34.21 | |
| Citizens' | Cyril Steel | 9,328 | 33.94 | |
| Labour | Kenneth Noel Larkin | 8,732 | 31.77 | |
| Labour | Milward James Mathews | 8,487 | 30.88 | −3.74 |
| Labour | John A. Gregor | 8,529 | 31.03 | |
| Labour | Rex Laurence T. Sandford | 8,176 | 29.75 | −3.19 |
| Labour | Stuart Laurence Lacey | 7,812 | 28.42 | |
| Independent | Tom Flint | 7,577 | 27.57 | −23.08 |
| Labour | Patrick Neary | 7,518 | 27.35 | |
| Independent | Tommy Armstrong | 5,212 | 18.96 | −25.40 |
| Workers' Action | John Sturt | 2,710 | 9.86 | |
| Liberal | Alexander Mackintosh | 2,485 | 9.04 | |
| Independent | Charles E. Cullen | 2,437 | 8.86 | +0.28 |
| Liberal | Eric Lester May | 2,175 | 7.91 | |
| Liberal | James Herbert Moore | 2,009 | 7.31 | |
| Communist | Ralph C. Blacklock | 1,504 | 5.47 | |
| Communist | Jack Locke | 1,481 | 5.38 | −0.29 |
| Independent | William John McFaul | 1,285 | 4.67 | −0.55 |