Mayor of Masterton

Mayor of Masterton
Coat of arms of Masterton
Incumbent
Bex Johnson
since 2025
StyleHis/Her Worship
Term length
  • Three years
Inaugural holderR. G. Williams
Formation1877
DeputyCraig Bowyer
Salary$133,530
WebsiteOfficial website

The mayor of Masterton is the head of the municipal government of Masterton, New Zealand, and presides over the Masterton District Council. The mayor is directly elected using First Past the Post. The mayor is assisted by the deputy mayor of Masterton.

The current mayor is Bex Johnson, elected in October 2025.

List of mayors

Name Portrait Term
1 Robert Williams 1877–1878
2 Duncan McGregor 1878–1879
3 Edwin Feist 1879–1880
4 Alfred Renall 1880–1881
5 Alfred Bish 1881–1883
6 William Lowes 1883–1884
7 Myer Caselberg 1884–1887
(4) Alfred Renall 1887–1889
8 George Heron 1889–1890
9 Charles Aylmer Pownall 1890–1893
(8) George Heron 1893–1896
(9) Charles Aylmer Pownall 1896–1898
(8) George Heron 1898–1899
(9) Charles Aylmer Pownall 1899–1902
10 Phillip Luscombe Hollings 1902–1903
11 James Moore Coradine 1903–1904
12 Joseph Renall 1904–1907
(11) James Moore Coradine 1907–1908
(10) Phillip Luscombe Hollings 1908–1910
(11) James Moore Coradine 1910–1919
(12) Joseph Renall 1919–1921
13 Orlando Pragnell 1921–1925
14 Thomas Jordan 1925–1944
15 William Kemp 1944–1953
16 Archibald Keir 1953
17 Ted Coddington 1953–1955
18 Bill Marchbank 1955–1962
19 Norm Tankersley 1962–1974
20 Frank Cody 1974–1986
21 Bob Francis 1986–2007
22 Garry Daniell 2007–2013
23 Lyn Patterson 2013–2022
24 Gary Caffell 2022–2025
25 Bex Johnson 2025–present

List of deputy mayors

Name Term Mayor
Joseph Renall 1902–c. 1903 Pownall
Hollings
Edgar George Eton 21 June – 24 June 1904 Renall
Edwin Feist November 1906 – March 1907
Edward McEwen March – April 1907
James Elliott c. July 1912 Coradine
Frederick William Temple c. December 1913
c. April 1916
5 September 1917
c. December 1917
November 1918 – c. January 1919
William Candy c. January 1921 Renall
Frederick William Temple September 1922 – April 1923 Pragnell
1923–1924
Thomas Jordan 1924
Frederick William Temple 1924–1925
William Kemp 1925–? Jordan
Unknown c. 1925–1933
W. L. Free 1933–1935
William White 1935–1944
Joseph Ninnes 1944–1947 Kemp
Archibald Keir 1947–1953
Ted Coddington 1953 Keir
Unknown 1953–c. 1980 –
Doug Leigh fl.1980–1983 Cody
Unknown c. 1983–1989 –
John McDonald 1989–1995 Francis
Rod McKenzie 1995–2004
Garry Daniell 2004–2007
Jane Terpstra 2007–2013 Daniell
Graham McClymont 2013–2022 Patterson
Bex Johnson 2022–2025 Caffell
Craig Bowyer 2025–present Johnson

Notes

  1. ↑ Eton was appointed deputy mayor at the council meeting on 21 June 1904 due to the mayor's scheduled absence at a New Zealand Dairy Association conference in Palmerston North. The mayor returned from the conference on the morning of 24 June.
  2. 1 2 In October 1906, the mayor, Joseph Renall, left Masterton before his term of office was over. He did not resign and was instead granted leave of absence, meaning a deputy mayor had to be appointed to fulfill the role in his absence until the next mayoral election in April 1907. Feist was elected to the role in November 1906, but vacated the position in March 1907, leading to McEwen taking over the role until the election in April.
  3. ↑ Appointed deputy mayor only for the council meeting on that date due to the mayor's absence from the meeting.
  4. ↑ Temple was officially appointed deputy mayor on 5 November 1918 due to the mayor's absence in Australia, however, was noted as the deputy mayor as early as on 2 November..
  5. ↑ Officially appointed deputy mayor on 19 September 1922, yet was referred to as in the position as early as on 11 September. Temple was appointed to serve for the rest of the council term, which ended with the municipal elections in April 1923.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "2025 Triennial Elections Declaration of Result" (PDF). Electionz. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  2. ↑ Edmunds, Susan (13 June 2024). "How much your local council gets paid". RNZ. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  3. ↑ "LUSH~talks to retiring Masterton mayor Bob Francis about stepping down after 21 years in the job – Audio Player – Audio". RadioLIVE.co.nz. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "Daniell makes mayor – Wairarapa Times Age – Wairarapa Times-Age News". Nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "First woman mayor of Masterton – Wairarapa Times Age – Wairarapa Times-Age News". Nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  6. ↑ "Local and General". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. XXVI, no. 7063. 22 January 1902. p. 2. Retrieved 10 October 2026.
  7. ↑ "The Rifle Champions". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. XXVII, no. 7409. 13 March 1903. p. 2. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  8. ↑ "Local and General". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. XXVIII, no. 7781. 25 June 1904. p. 4. Retrieved 10 October 2026.
  9. ↑ "Borough Council". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. XXVIII, no. 7777. 22 June 1904. p. 7. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "Local and General". Wairarapa Age. Vol. XXIX, no. 8262. 16 October 1906. p. 4. Retrieved 10 October 2026.
  11. ↑ "Local and General". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. LVI, no. 8737. 22 April 1907. p. 4. Retrieved 10 October 2026.
  12. ↑ "Masterton Borough Council". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. LV, no. 8606. 14 November 1906. p. 5. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  13. ↑ "Masterton's Deputy-Mayor". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. LVI, no. 8711. 20 March 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 10 October 2026.
  14. ↑ "Local and General". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. LVI, no. 8717. 27 March 1907. p. 4. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  15. ↑ "Drainage in New Streets". Wairarapa Age. Vol. XXIX, no. 8392. 10 April 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 10 October 2026.
  16. ↑ "Municipal Management". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. LXIV, no. 11421. 31 July 1912. p. 5. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  17. ↑ "Local and General". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. LXV, no. 11862. 23 December 1913. p. 4. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  18. ↑ "Deputy Mayor or Chairman". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. LXX, no. 14546. 19 April 1916. p. 6. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  19. ↑ "Borough Council". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. 43, no. 133039. 5 September 1917. p. 6. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  20. ↑ "Local and General". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. 43, no. 134027. 19 December 1917. p. 4. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  21. ↑ "Personal Items". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. 44, no. 13684. 6 November 1918. p. 4. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  22. ↑ "Turkey Surrenders". Wairarapa Age. 2 November 1918. p. 5. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  23. ↑ "Local and General". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. 45, no. 13735. 14 January 1919. p. 4. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  24. ↑ "Obituary". The Evening Post. Vol. CXX, no. 154. 27 December 1935. p. 9.
  25. ↑ "Lansdowne Amalgamation". Wairarapa Age. 12 January 1921. p. 5. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  26. ↑ "The Candidates". Wairarapa Age. 27 April 1921. p. 5. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  27. ↑ "Personal". Wairarapa Age. 20 September 1922. p. 5. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  28. ↑ "The General Election". Wairarapa Age. 11 September 1922. p. 4. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  29. ↑ "Personal Items". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. 48, no. 14756. 20 September 1922. p. 5. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  30. ↑ "Borough Elections". Wairarapa Age. 27 April 1923. p. 4. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
  31. ↑ "Personal". Wairarapa Age. 16 May 1923. p. 5. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  32. 1 2 "Personal". Wairarapa Age. 20 August 1924. p. 5. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  33. ↑ "Borough Council". Wairarapa Daily Times. 17 December 1924. p. 6. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  34. ↑ "Distance Walking". Wairarapa Age. 4 April 1925. p. 5. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  35. ↑ "Camping Centre". Waipukurau Press. Vol. XXII, no. 27. 31 August 1925. p. 2. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  36. ↑ "Premier Welcomed". The Dominion. Vol. 18, no. 262. 10 August 1925. p. 8. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
  37. ↑ "Town and Country". The Dominion. Vol. 26, no. 228. 22 June 1933. p. 4. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  38. ↑ "Anzac Day". Wairarapa Age. 24 April 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  39. ↑ "Local Body Poll". Wairarapa Times-Age. 22 February 1944. p. 2. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  40. ↑ "Mayor & Councillors". Wairarapa Times-Age. 8 June 1944. p. 2. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  41. ↑ "Tribute Paid". Wairarapa Times-Age. 12 November 1947. p. 6. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  42. ↑ "Page 7 Advertisements Column 1". Wairarapa Times-Age. 9 December 1947. p. 7. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  43. 1 2 "Personal Items". The Press. Vol. LXXXIX, no. 26944. 21 January 1953. p. 6. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  44. ↑ Lawson, John Harvey. "Masterton Borough Council : Photograph". Masterton District Library. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  45. ↑ Bonallack, Andrew (28 September 2013). "Community stalwart dies after a long illness". The New Zealand Herald. Wairarapa Times-Age. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  46. ↑ "Masterton's 'tourist standard' tip hardly a dump". The Press. 31 May 1994. p. 6. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  47. ↑ "Deputy set for the sack". The New Zealand Herald. Wairarapa Times-Age. 26 October 2004. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  48. ↑ "McKenzie decides 30 years is enough". The New Zealand Herald. Wairarapa Times-Age. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  49. ↑ "New deputy confirmed for Masterton district". The New Zealand Herald. Wairarapa Times-Age. 28 October 2004. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  50. ↑ Katterns, Tanya (9 October 2010). "Masterton mayor hangs on". Stuff. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  51. ↑ Moir, Jo (1 November 2007). "Daniell takes the reins with Terpstra as deputy". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  52. ↑ "Masterton District Council Annual Report 2013/2014". Masterton District Council. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  53. ↑ Hooks, Kelli (25 October 2013). "McClymont made deputy mayor of Masterton". NZ Herald. Wairarapa Times-Age. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  54. ↑ "Annual Report 2022-23". Masterton District Council. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  55. ↑ Teodoro, Sue (29 October 2025). "Craig, Grace and Rob: Wairarapa's three new deputy mayors". The Post. Retrieved 30 November 2025.