Local body government 52 years old

Taupo Times, Volume 23, Issue 56, 16 July 1974, Page 5

Local body government

52 years old

Local government in Taupo is 52 years old this month — and the Taupo borough will celebrate its 21st anniversary later in the year. * The first meeting of a territorial local authority was that of the Taupo Road Board, held in the Taupo Courthouse on July 22, 1922. A schoolmaster, Mr A. E. B. Richardson, was elected clerk and, appropriately enough, he re-

corded the minutes of the board's first meeting in a school exercise hook. The Taupo Road District was constituted by Section 16 of the Waikato and King Country Counties Act 1921-22, as a result of a petition organised by the Rev. H. J. Fletcher. The petition was pre-

sented through Mr F. F. Hockly, member of Parliament for Rotorua, on behalf of the electors in the Taupo township. Constable Thomas Johnson, of Taupo, was appointed by the GovernorGeneral as returning officer for the first election of members of the road Board. The election was fixed for July 15, 1922, and the date of the first meeting was set at July 22 that year. No election was, in fact, necessary, as it turned out. Only five nominations were received for the five seats on the board, and those elected were Rev. Henry James Fletcher, clergyman; Thomas S. Sampson, engineer; Sidney Robert Palmer, sawmiller; i Alfred E. B. Richardson, schoolmaster; and Frederick H. Gradwell, builder. Taupo became a town district on April 1, 1946, and the first election of a board of commissioners was held on June 1, 1946, in Rickits Hall.

On October 1, 1953, Taupo became a borough, so it will celebrate its 21st birthday at this year's local body elections. There were 18 candidates for the eight seats on the first borough council. Mr J. E. Story was unopposed for the position of Mayor, which he held until his retirement at the 1971 local body elections. Mr Story had become a member of the Taupo Road Board in May, 1938, and he served until January 1943. When the road board was succeeded by the Taupo Town Board in 1946, Mr Story was elected a member. Four years later, he became chairman and then first Mayor. Two members of the present council were elected to the first Taupo Borough Council. They are the Mayor, Mr C. S. Currie, who will be standing for office again in October, and Mr J. M. Stanley, who will not be defending his seat this year.