Summary
Charles Mathew Gray (1853 – 11 June 1918) was a New Zealand Independent Member of Parliament for Christchurch North, and Mayor of Christchurch.
Charles Gray | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Christchurch North | |
| In office 6 Dec 1905 – 29 Oct 1908 | |
| Preceded by | new electorate |
| Succeeded by | Tommy Taylor |
| 17th Mayor of Christchurch | |
| In office 17 Dec 1890 – 16 Dec 1891 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel Manning |
| Succeeded by | William Prudhoe |
| In office 1904–1905 | |
| Preceded by | Henry Wigram |
| Succeeded by | John Hall |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1853 Geelong |
| Died | 11 June 1918 (aged 64–65) Christchurch |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
Early life edit
Charles Gray was born in Geelong, Victoria, in Australia and came to New Zealand in 1862.
Local body politics edit
Gray was elected to the Christchurch City Council in 1885. Mayoral elections were held on 26 November 1890. The two candidates were the incumbent, Samuel Manning, and Gray, who received 492 and 665 votes, respectively. Gray was thus elected as the 17th mayor of Christchurch[1] and was installed on 17 December 1890.[2] He was mayor until the end of 1891. On 18 April 1904, he succeeded Henry Wigram as mayor, when he was declared elected unopposed.[3] He served for one year, and his chief aims were beautifying the city, drainage, sanitation, lighting and high pressure water supply.
Member of Parliament edit
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1905–1908 | 16th | Christchurch North | Independent Liberal | ||
Charles Gray represented the Christchurch North electorate in the New Zealand House of Representatives from the 1905 election to 1908.
Gray defeated Tommy Taylor in the 1905 contest for Christchurch North.
Gray made it clear during the election campaign that he was an independent Liberal who would go to the House unfettered by party obligations. He declared that he was not a 'party man'.[4]
Death edit
Gray died in Christchurch on 11 June 1918.
References edit
- ^ "The Mayoral Elections". The Star. No. 7021. 27 November 1890.
- ^ "Mayoral Installations". The Press. Vol. XLVIL, no. 7738. 18 December 1890. p. 3. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ "Election of Mayor". The Press. Vol. LXI, no. 11871. 19 April 1904. p. 11. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
- ^ "The General Election". The Press. Vol. LXII, no. 12354. 18 November 1905. p. 10. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
Further reading edit
- Whitcher, G. F. (1966), The New Liberal Party 1905, [M.A.(Hons.) – University of Canterbury]
- Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.