Charles Gray (New Zealand politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix = The Honourable

|name = Charles Gray

|honorific-suffix =

|image = Charles Mathew Gray.jpg

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| constituency_MP = Christchurch North

| parliament = New Zealand

| term_start = 6 Dec 1905

| term_end = 29 Oct 1908

| predecessor = new electorate

| successor = Tommy Taylor

|order2 = 17th

|office2 = Mayor of Christchurch

|term_start2 = 17 Dec 1890

|term_end2 = 16 Dec 1891

|predecessor2 = Samuel Manning

|successor2 = William Prudhoe

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| predecessor3 = Henry Wigram

| successor3 = John Hall

| term_start3 = 1904

| term_end3 = 1905

| order =

|birth_date = {{birth year|1853}}

|birth_place = Geelong

|death_date = {{death date and age|11 June 1918|1853|df=y}}

|death_place = Christchurch

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|nationality = New Zealand

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Charles Mathew Gray (1853 – 11 June 1918) was a New Zealand Independent Member of Parliament for Christchurch North, and Mayor of Christchurch.

Early life

Charles Gray was born in Geelong, Victoria, in Australia and came to New Zealand in 1862.

Local body politics

Gray was elected to the Christchurch City Council in 1885. Mayoral elections were held on 26 November 1890. The two candidates were the incumbent, Samuel Manning, and Gray, who received 492 and 665 votes, respectively. Gray was thus elected as the 17th mayor of Christchurch{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TS18901127.2.54 | title=The Mayoral Elections | work=The Star | date=27 November 1890 | issue=7021}} and was installed on 17 December 1890.{{cite news |title=Mayoral Installations |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP18901218.2.15 |access-date=6 February 2019 |work=The Press |volume=XLVIL |issue=7738 |date=18 December 1890 |page=3}} He was mayor until the end of 1891. On 18 April 1904, he succeeded Henry Wigram as mayor, when he was declared elected unopposed.{{cite news |title=Election of Mayor |url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19040419.2.70.1 |access-date=10 May 2016 |work=The Press |volume=LXI |issue=11871 |date=19 April 1904 |page=11}} He served for one year, and his chief aims were beautifying the city, drainage, sanitation, lighting and high pressure water supply.

Member of Parliament

{{NZ parlbox

|electorate=Christchurch North

|party=Independent Liberal

|start=1905

|end=1908

|term=16th}}

Charles Gray represented the Christchurch North electorate in the New Zealand House of Representatives from the 1905 election to 1908.

Gray defeated Tommy Taylor in the 1905 contest for Christchurch North.

Gray made it clear during the election campaign that he was an independent Liberal who would go to the House unfettered by party obligations. He declared that he was not a 'party man'.{{cite news | title=The General Election | url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19051118.2.45 |work=The Press | volume=LXII | issue=12354 |date = 18 November 1905 | page=10 | access-date=6 February 2019}}

Death

Gray died in Christchurch on 11 June 1918.

Charles Gray (New Zealand politician)

Early life

Local body politics

Member of Parliament

Death

References

Further reading