Mayor of Stratford, New Zealand

Mayor of Stratford
Incumbent
Neil Volzke
since 2009
StyleHis/Her Worship
Term length
  • Three years, renewable
DeputyAmanda Harris
Salary$105,503
WebsiteOfficial website

The mayor of Stratford officiates over the Stratford District Council. The mayor is elected directly using the first-past-the-post electoral system.

The current mayor is Neil Volzke. Volzke was first elected as mayor in a 2009 by-election following the death of previous mayor John Edwards.

History

The first Stratford Town Board was formed in 1882. The Stratford County Council was formed in 1890, and the Stratford Borough Council was formed on 22 July 1898. The county and borough councils amalgamated on 1 April 1989 to form the Stratford District Council, which was reconstituted on 1 November 1989 as part of the nationwide restructure in local government.

List of mayors of Stratford

Stratford has had 24 mayors:[citation needed]

Name Term
Mayors of Stratford Borough
1 George Newsham Curtis 1882–1885
2 Charles Curtis 1885–1890
3 Ebenezer Burgess 1890–1892
4 William Loftus Tocker 1892–1894
5 J. B. Patton 1894–1896
(3) Ebenezer Burgess 1896–1898
6 Harry Norman Liardet 1898–1899
7 Frederick Jeffray Steuart 1900–1901
8 Reginald Brooking Tatton 1901–1902
(6) Harry Norman Liardet 1902–1903
9 Nathaniel John King 1903–1907
10 Pilcher Frederick Ralfe 1907–1908
11 George A. Sangster 1908–1910
12 Jonas Masters 1910–1912
13 William Patrick Kirkwood 1912–1915
14 Josephiah Wedgwood Boon 1915–1917
15 James Watson McMillan 1917–1929
16 Percy Thomson 1929–1933
(15) James Watson McMillan 1933–1938
(16) Percy Thomson 1938–1947
17 Norman Harold Moss 1947–1957
18 George Boon 1957–1971
19 Leo Carrington 1971–1986
20 Lachlan Grant Bond 1986–1989
Mayors of Stratford District
21 David Walter 1989–1998
22 Brian Jeffares 1998–2007
23 John Edwards 2007–2009
24 Neil Volzke 2009–present

List of deputy mayors of Stratford

Name Term Mayor
Deputy mayors of Stratford Borough
N. J. King c. August 1910 Masters
February–March 1912
J. H. Thompson 1915–1917 Boon
Jonas Masters 1917–1919 McMillan
Campbell Jackson 1919–1923
E. Carryer 1923–1925
T. I. Lamason 1925–c. 1926
T. Lawson c. 1926–1929
A. H. Nelson 1929–c. 1930 Thomson
N. B. Fletcher c. 1931–1933
William Gordon 1933–c. 1937 McMillan
R. F. Harkness 1938–1944 Thomson
George Boon 1944–1950 Thomson
Moss
G. A. Carter 1950–1952 Moss
E. W. McCullough c. 1952–1953
J. R. Callaghan 1953–?
George Boon ?–1957
Unknown 1957–1989 –
Deputy mayors of Stratford District
Roger White 1989–1992 Walter
Barrie Smith 1992–1998
John Edwards 1998–2007 Jeffares
Neil Volzke 2007–2009 Edwards
Roger Hignett 2009–2013 Volzke
Alan Jamieson 2013–2022
Min McKay 2022–2025
Amanda Harris 2025–present

Notes

  1. ↑ Appointed deputy mayor during Masters' absence from council following the death of his wife.
  2. ↑ Appointed during the mayor's leave of absence. Masters returned to the position in March.
  3. ↑ In May 1926, the Taranaki Daily News referred to Lawson as the deputy mayor, however, in December of the same year, the newspaper referred to Lamason as the deputy mayor.
  4. ↑ In May 1926, the Taranaki Daily News referred to Lawson as the deputy mayor, however, in December of the same year, the newspaper referred to Lamason as the deputy mayor.

References

  1. ↑ Rilkoff, Matthew (11 September 2024). "The hard yakka of being the mayor of Stratford, Taranaki". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  2. ↑ Edmunds, Susan (13 June 2024). "How much your local council gets paid". RNZ. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  3. ↑ "Stratford District Council — Administration". Stratford District Council. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  4. ↑ "Mayor and Councillors". Stratford District Council. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "Business as usual for new mayor". Stratford Press. The New Zealand Herald. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  6. ↑ Derby, Mark (1 February 2015). "Local and regional government – Reforming local government". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "Obituary". Taranaki Daily News. 9 November 1926. p. 8. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  8. ↑ "Mayor of Stratford". Auckland Libraries. 11 May 1910. Retrieved 28 January 2026 – via DigitalNZ.
  9. ↑ "Stratford". Taranaki Herald. Vol. LVIII, no. 14282. 11 August 1910. p. 7. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  10. ↑ "Our Stratford Page". Taranaki Daily News. Vol. LIV, no. 232. 29 March 1912. p. 3. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  11. ↑ "Local and General". Stratford Evening Post. Vol. XXXII, no. 53. 27 February 1912. p. 4. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  12. ↑ "Our Stratford Page". Taranaki Daily News. Vol. LIV, no. 217. 12 March 1912. p. 3. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  13. ↑ "Stratford". Taranaki Daily News. 19 May 1917. p. 8. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  14. ↑ "Stratford". Taranaki Daily News. 8 September 1917. p. 3. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  15. ↑ "Prohibition Campaign". Stratford Evening Post. Vol. XXXIX, no. 6. 28 March 1919. p. 5. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  16. ↑ "Stratford Borough Council". Stratford Evening Post. Vol. XXXIX, no. 49. p. 3. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  17. ↑ "Small Goods". Stratford Evening Post. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 41. 13 February 1923. p. 5. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  18. ↑ "Borough Council". Stratford Evening Post. Vol. XXXIX, no. 3. 2 May 1923. p. 5. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  19. ↑ "Stratford News". Taranaki Daily News. 16 April 1925. p. 9. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  20. ↑ "Stratford News". Taranaki Daily News. 18 May 1926. p. 8. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  21. ↑ "Stratford District Page". Taranaki Daily News. 14 December 1926. p. 10. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  22. ↑ "The New Council". Stratford Evening Post. Vol. LV, no. 65. 7 May 1925. p. 5. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  23. ↑ "Stratford News". Taranaki Daily News. 18 May 1926. p. 8. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  24. ↑ "Stratford District Page". Taranaki Daily News. 14 December 1926. p. 10. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  25. ↑ "Mayor Leaves The Chair". Stratford Evening Post. No. 30. 11 June 1927. p. 5. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  26. ↑ "General News". Stratford Evening Post. No. 98. 27 April 1929. p. 4. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  27. ↑ "Deputy Mayor Explains". Stratford Evening Post. No. 41. 2 December 1929. p. 5. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  28. ↑ "ANZAC Day Celebrated". Stratford Evening Post. No. 47. 26 April 1930. p. 5. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  29. ↑ "Master Butchers Confer". Taranaki Daily News. 13 October 1931. p. 6. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  30. ↑ "Chamber of Commerce". Stratford Evening Post. Vol. II, no. 213. 5 April 1933. p. 4. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  31. ↑ "Deputy Mayor To Act". Northern Advocate. 7 June 1933. p. 4. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  32. ↑ "Electricity Charges". Taranaki Daily News. 18 May 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  33. ↑ "Stratford Council". Taranaki Daily News. 19 May 1938. p. 7. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  34. ↑ "Returned Soldier Complains of Unfair Treatment of Wife". Taranaki Daily News. 24 May 1944. p. 6. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  35. ↑ "General". Taranaki Daily News. 7 June 1944. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  36. ↑ "Only One New Candidate For Borough Council". Taranaki Daily News. 23 October 1950. p. 7. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  37. ↑ "Another Stratford Council Candidate Announces Himself". Taranaki Daily News. 29 September 1953. p. 4. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  38. ↑ "New Borough Council Holds First Meeting". Taranaki Daily News. 24 November 1950. p. 7. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  39. ↑ "Deputy Mayor Leaving Stratford". Taranaki Daily News. 16 December 1952. p. 9. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  40. ↑ "Mayoralty Contest Certain At Stratford". Taranaki Daily News. 16 September 1953. p. 6. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  41. ↑ "Three More People To be Presented To Queen At Stratford". Taranaki Daily News. 14 December 1953. p. 9. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  42. ↑ "Personal Items". The Press. Vol. XCV, no. 28282. 21 May 1957. p. 12. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  43. ↑ "3 February 2021 ORDINARY MEETING OF COUNCIL" (PDF). Stratford District Council. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  44. ↑ "Congratulations to our 2023 Citizen Award recipients". Stratford District Council. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  45. ↑ Hanne, Ilona (25 October 2022). "Min McKay named deputy mayor for Stratford". Stratford Press. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  46. ↑ "Stratford deputy mayor told to apologise after confidential info leak". The Post. Taranaki Daily News. 14 July 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  47. ↑ "Elected Members sworn in and straight to work". Stratford District Council. 31 October 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2026.