QUEENSTOWN ELECTIONS

Lake County Mail, Issue 27, 26 November 1947, Page 1

QUEENSTOWN ELECTIONS

FOUR NEW COUNCILLORS SMALL POLLING The number of electors who recorded their votes at the recent election of councillors for the Borough of Queenstown was disappointing. Allowing for a maximum of 100 absentee ratepayers —the roll number was 623 and there were five declaration votes little more than half recorded their votes. Two of the past council were re-elected and four new members, one of whom, s Mr F. J. Gavin, has served previously were elected. One of the previous council, Mr W. H. Sew Hoy, who ' topped the poll at the last election, lost his seat. The following are details of the polling:— "THOMPSON, David William .. 239 ROBINS, Robert Charles .. ..214 IN6LIS, Charles Alan . . .. 211 GAVIN, Francis Joseph .. ..166 "LINDSAY, James Leslie .. ..157 NELSON, William Henry .. ..144 (The above were elected). ELLIOT, William Mathias .. 138 *SEW HOY, William Henry .. 116 MCDONALD, James .. ... •. 87 CURTIS, Arthur Henry James .. 87 • Members of last council. There were five declaration votes and two informal. The New Council The Mayor, Dr W. A. Anderson, was elected a member of the council in 1927, having topped the poll. He was deputy-Mayor for 10 years and was elected Mayor in 1939 and has held thel honourable position up till the present. Dr Anderson was also elected unopposed on the Central Otago Power •Board. He is a member of the Kawarau Dam fifoardj the Frankton Aerodrome Board, hon. Child Welfare Oltecer, Family Conciliator under the Family Conciliation Act, and a member of the Rotary Club as well as of other bodies in the town. He worthily fulfilled many social engagements during the war period and before it. D. W. Thompson, who topped the recent poll for the election of councillors, was first elected to the council in 1941 and was re-elected in 1944. During the past term Cr Thompson who is chairman of the Camping and Works committees has done much to bring the camping ground to its preent efficient state. Mr Thompson is also a member of the Queenstown Beautifying Society. He is a descendant of one of the very early settlers arid was born at Mandeville. F. J. Gavin is a native of Queenstown. His late father, Mr M. J. Gavin, served several terms on the council and was also Mayor at one period, F. J. Gavin was first elected to the council in 1923 and with the exception of several breaks, sat at the table until the 1941 election when he retired for health reasons, Mr Gavin “ was appointed a member of the Wakatipu Power. Board when it was formed. He was a one-time member of the Central Otago Licensing committee. L. J. Lindsay was first elected a member of the council in 1941. He Was defeated in the 1944 election and when Cr W. E. Scott resigned in 1946, he was appointed to fill the vacancy. Cr Lindsay is a member of the Queenstown Progressive League, the Bcautifjring Society and a vice-president of the Queenstown Cricket Club. He has befen in business in Queenstown for 13

years. W. H. Nelson, a new member of the council, was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England. He came to Queenstown 31 years ago and engaged in electrical work. Mr Nelson has been a member of the Queenstown Volunteer Fire Brigade for 30 years, 17 years of which he has been superintendent. He carries the Gold Star for 25 years’ service. Mr Nelson is president of the Wakatipu Bowling Club and occupies a similar position in the Queenstown Cricket Club. He is a member of the Queenstown Progressive League and has been associated with other organisations in the town. R. C. Robins, one of the new councillors, is a native of Queenstown. He is president of the Queenstown Rotary Club, a vice-president of the Progressive League and of the Queenstown Cricket Club and is a churchwarden of St. Peter’s Church, Queenstown. He is an ex-member of the Queenstown Brass Band. Charles A. Inglis, a new councillor, is the eldest son of Mr C. M. Inglis, former town clerk. Before going overseas with the 26th Battalion in May, 1940, he, was employed in the New Zealand Railways. He served in Egypt, Greece and returned to Libya where he was taken prisoner of war in November, 1941. He was a p.o.w. for about three years and was repatriated in September 1944. Mr Inglis is a member of the Progressive League, Regatta and Athletic committees, and has always been interested in sport.