Mayor of Wairoa

Mayor of Wairoa
Incumbent
Craig Little
since 2013
StyleHis/Her Worship
Term length
  • Three years, renewable
Inaugural holderJohn Somerville
Formation1909
DeputyBenita Cairns
Salary$116,979
WebsiteOfficial website

The mayor of Wairoa officiates over the Wairoa District Council.

Craig Little is the current mayor of Wairoa. He has held the position since 2013.

List of mayors

† Died in office

Name Portrait Term of office
1 John Somerville 1909–1910
2 Joseph Corkill 1910–1917
3 John Mayo 1917–1919
4 Joseph Corkill 1919–1929
5 Robert T. Esther 1929–1931
6 Harry Harker 1931–1943
7 M. J. Gemmell 1943–1944
8 Clarence V. Chamberlain 1944–1953
9 Jack Livingstone 1953–1959
10 Robert Shortt 1959–1971[†]
11 J. S. Standring fl.1971–1980
Michael Barrett fl.1983–1984
Cliff Owen fl.1986–1991
Derek Fox 1995–2001
Les Probert 2001–2013
Craig Little 2013–present

List of deputy mayors

Name Term Mayor
John Hunter Brown fl.1912 Corkill
Unknown c. 1912–c. 1919 –
John McDonald fl.1919–1925 Corkill
J. R. Gillespie fl.1925–1928
J. Ross fl.1929–1930 Esther
Unknown c. 1930–c. 1933 –
Don Glengarry fl.1933–1934 Harker
M. J. Gemmell 1934–1943
William Henry Flint 1943–1944 Gemmell
M. J. Gemmell 1944–1947 Chamberlain
William Henry Flint fl.1947–1949
Unknown c. 1949–c. 1960 –
John Gardiner Woolf fl.1960 Shortt
Unknown c. 1960–c. 1988 –
K. McEwen fl.1988 Owen
Unknown c. 1988–1998 –
Les Probert 1998–2001 Fox
Unknown 2001–c. 2003 Probert
Judy Harrison fl.2003–2004
Denise Eaglesome-Karekare fl.2005–2019
Hine Flood 2019–2022 Little
Denise Eaglesome-Karekare 2022–2025
Benita Cairns 2025–present

References

  1. ↑ Hamilton-Irvine, Gary (20 October 2025). "Local elections 2025: Deputy mayors chosen for Napier, Hastings, Wairoa; final regional councillor elected". Hawke's Bay Today. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  2. ↑ Edmunds, Susan (13 June 2024). "How much your local council gets paid". RNZ. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Mayor and Councillors". wairoadc.govt.nz. Wairoa District Council.
  4. 1 2 "Craig Little is new Mayor of Wairoa". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Hawke's Bay Today. 12 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "BOROUGH OF WAIROA". Poverty Bay Herald. Papers Past. 22 October 1909.
  6. 1 2 Craymer, Lucy (8 June 2005). "Resident sees red over bid to change street name". Hawke's Bay Today. New Zealand Herald.
  7. ↑ Hughes, Stephanie; Hughes, Ivan (January 1994). "To Wairoa They Came". Hawke's Bay Digital Archives Trust. OCLC 153889685.
  8. ↑ "WAIROA ELECTIONS". Poverty Bay Herald. Papers Past. 2 May 1929.
  9. ↑ "MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS". Horowhenua Chronicle. Papers Past. 7 May 1931.
  10. 1 2 3 "New Mayor Elected". Gisborne Herald. Vol. LXX, no. 21170. 11 August 1943. p. 2. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Obituary Mr C. V. Chamberlain". The Press. Papers Past. 29 July 1961.
  12. ↑ "75 NEW ZEALANDERS HONOURED". The Press. Papers Past. 8 June 1968.
  13. ↑ "CELIBACY ISSUE". The Press. Papers Past. 13 October 1971.
  14. ↑ "Social Items". Gisborne Photo News. No. 212. 23 February 1972. p. 58. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "Local bodies' assn will ask Govt to axe transport bill". The Press. 18 April 1980. p. 3. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "Archives". Wairoa District Council. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  17. ↑ "Shots fired in Wairoa clash". The Press. 10 December 1984. p. 5. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  18. ↑ "Owen, Clifford Jack Biography 1991". Hawke's Bay Knowledge Bank. Hawke's Bay Digital Archives Trust. 1991. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  19. ↑ "Fox comments condemned by local leaders". Hawke's Bay Today. New Zealand Herald. 9 January 2015.
  20. ↑ Moroney, Roger (14 October 2013). "Farming chores await defeated mayor". Hawke's Bay Today. New Zealand Herald.
  21. ↑ "Te Ariki: An exhibition on the life of Wairoa's most prominent son Sir James Carroll" (PDF). Wairoa Histories. p. 17. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  22. ↑ "General Election". Gisborne Times. Vol. LI, no. 5354. 15 December 1919. p. 5. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  23. ↑ "Untitled". Poverty Bay Herald. Vol. LI, no. 16707. 17 April 1925. p. 4. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  24. ↑ "Personal". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. 55, no. 86. 14 May 1925. p. 5. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  25. ↑ "Main Highways". Poverty Bay Herald. Vol. LIV, no. 16818. 4 December 1928. p. 2. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  26. ↑ "Camping Facilities". Poverty Bay Herald. Vol. LV, no. 17098. 2 November 1929. p. 16. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  27. ↑ "Wairoa Wants". Poverty Bay Herald. Vol. LV, no. 17424. 24 November 1930. p. 12. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  28. ↑ "Concrete Road Inspected". The Northern Advocate. 25 October 1933. p. 4. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  29. 1 2 "Personals". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. 64, no. 150. 28 July 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  30. ↑ "Wairoa Borough Council 1944–1947". Wairoa District Council. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  31. ↑ "Wairoa News". Gisborne Herald. Vol. LXXIV, no. 22501. 3 December 1947. p. 6. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  32. ↑ "ANZAC Day Remembrance in Wairoa Area". Gisborne Herald. Vol. LXXVI, no. 22931. 27 April 1949. p. 8. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  33. ↑ "Labour Candidate For Hawke's Bay". The Press. Vol. XCIX, no. 29304. 8 September 1960. p. 20. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
  34. ↑ "Declaration Extending State of Local Civil Defence Emergency" (PDF). The New Zealand Gazette (71): 4. 14 March 1988 – via Victoria University of Wellington.
  35. ↑ "High-profile candidates among losers". The New Zealand Herald. 14 October 2001. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
  36. ↑ "Gang members like a pack of animals, says Wairoa mayor". The New Zealand Herald. 28 November 2003. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  37. ↑ "Elected Representatives". Wairoa District Council. Archived from the original on 14 October 2004. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  38. ↑ "Elected Representatives". Wairoa District Council. Archived from the original on 6 October 2006. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  39. 1 2 Hall, Linda (12 June 2025). "Local Elections: Long-serving Deputy Mayor Denise Eaglesome-Karekare to run for Wairoa Mayor". The New Zealand Herald. Hawke's Bay Today. Archived from the original on 9 August 2025. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  40. ↑ "New Deputy Mayor for Wairoa". Wairoa District Council. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  41. ↑ "Wairoa Mayor Craig Little pleased to win 'horrible' campaign". The New Zealand Herald. Radio New Zealand. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  42. ↑ "Eaglesome-Karekare Deputy Mayor". Wairoa District Council. 20 October 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  43. ↑ "New Council sworn in". Wairoa District Council. 29 October 2025. Retrieved 1 May 2026.