Alfred Newman (politician)

Alfred Newman
17th Mayor of Wellington
In office 1909–1910
Preceded by	Thomas William Hislop
Succeeded by	Thomas Wilford
Personal details
Born	27 April 1849 Madras, India
Died	3 April 1924 Wellington, New Zealand
Political party	Reform
Spouse(s)	Octavia Newman

Alfred Kingcome Newman (27 April 1849 – 3 April 1924) was the Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand in 1909-10, and a Member of Parliament.

Early life

1896 caricature of Dr Alfred Newman

Newman was born in Madras, India, in 1849. The family migrated to New Zealand in 1853 and farmed at Waipukurau. He received his primary education in the Hawke's Bay region and Auckland, and travelled in 1863 to receive his secondary education in Bath, England. Newman became a Doctor of Medicine and returned to New Zealand in 1875.^[1]

Political career

Newman was a Wellington City Councillor from 1881 to 1885. He was Mayor of Wellington in 1909–1910.^[1]

Newman contested the 1881 election in the Foxton electorate, where he came fifth of six candidates, beaten by James Wilson.^[2]

The resignation of William Levin from the Thorndon electorate caused an 1884 by-election. At the nomination meeting, Thomas Dwan, Alfred Newman and Henry Bunny were proposed as candidates, with Dwan winning the show of hands.^[3] At the election on 14 May 1884, Newman, Bunny and Dwan received 636, 379 and 121 votes, respectively.^[4]

At the 1884 election, Newman was re-elected unopposed.^[5] At the 1887 election, Newman beat William McLean by 873 to 425 votes.^[6]

The Thorndon electorate was abolished at the end of the parliamentary term in 1890.^[7] Newman successfully contested the Hutt electorate in the 1890 election.^[8] At the 1893 election, he successfully contested the Suburbs of Wellington electorate. He was defeated in 1896 when he stood for Otaki.^[9] In the 1899 election, he came second in the Suburbs of Wellington electorate.^[10]

Later he was MP for Wellington East, from 1911 to 1922, when he retired.^[9] From 1909, he belonged to the Reform Party.^[8]

He was a member of the Legislative Council from 1 June 1923 to when he died on 3 April 1924,^[11] and for many years was on the Wellington Education Board, the Wellington College Board of Governors and the Senate of the University of New Zealand.^[1]

Notes

References

• No Mean City by Stuart Perry (1969, Wellington City Council) includes a paragraph and a portrait or photo for each mayor
• Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. 
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103. 

Mayors of Wellington City
Mayors	elected by councillors George Hunter William Guyton Joseph Dransfield Charles Borlase William Sefton Moorhouse elected at large William Hutchison Joseph Dransfield George Allen William Hutchison George Fisher Arthur Winton Brown Samuel Brown John Duthie Charles Johnston Arthur Winton Brown Francis Bell Alfred Brandon Charles Luke George Fisher Francis Bell John Blair John Aitken Thomas William Hislop Alfred Newman Thomas Wilford David McLaren John Luke Robert Wright Charles Norwood George Troup Thomas Hislop Will Appleton Rob Macalister Frank Kitts Michael Fowler Ian Lawrence James Belich Fran Wilde Mark Blumsky Kerry Prendergast Celia Wade-Brown Justin Lester
Mayoral elections	Annual term 1875 1876† 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 Biennial term 1899 1901 1903† 1905 1907 1909 1910‡ 1911† 1912‡ 1913 1915 1917† 1919 1921 1923 1925 1927 1929 1931 1933† Triennial term 1935 1938 1941 1944 1947 1950 1953 1956 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016
† Elected unopposed · ‡ By-election