William Thomas Strand

William Thomas Strand MBE (1877–1960) was a New Zealand politician. He was Mayor of Lower Hutt on two occasions.

William Thomas Strand
MBE
9th Mayor of Lower Hutt
In office
13 May 1931 – 10 May 1933
Preceded bySir Alex Roberts
Succeeded byJack Andrews
In office
21 December 1921 – 16 May 1929
Preceded byPercy Rishworth
Succeeded bySir Alex Roberts
Personal details
Born1877
Died1960
ProfessionFarmer

Biography

Strand was a farmer and was chairman of the Hutt River Board. In April 1921 he was elected to the Lower Hutt Borough Council.[1] In December 1921 Strand and the Mayor, Percy Rishworth, disagreed with the erection of a gasworks in Lower Hutt. The public supported a new gasworks in a plebiscite but Strand and the Ratepayers' Association opposed it. Strand made a speech to the Ratepayers' Association accusing Rishworth of a 'breach of faith' which was later leaked and published in newspapers. At the next council meeting Rishworth addressed the matter and challenged Strand to resign along with himself and contest an election for mayor.[2] Strand accepted the challenge and defeated Rishworth in the by-election.[3] He served as mayor until 1929 when he declined to seek re-election. Two years later his successor as mayor, Sir Alex Roberts, also declined to seek another term and Strand was persuaded to stand again, succeeding him unopposed. He retired in 1933.[4]

He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1957 New Year Honours for his services to local government.[5]

Notes
  1. "Lower Hutt – The New Council". The Evening Post. Vol. CI, no. 100. 28 April 1921. p. 9.
  2. "Hutt Gasworks". The New Zealand Times. Vol. XLVIII, no. 11070. 29 November 1921. p. 5.
  3. "Extraordinary Election of Mayor, 21st December 1921". The Evening Post. Vol. CII, no. 150. 22 December 1921. p. 2.
  4. McGill 1991, p. 212.
  5. "No. 40962". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1957. p. 46.

References
  • McGill, David (1991). Lower Hutt – The First Garden City. Petone, New Zealand: The Lower Hutt City Council. ISBN 1-86956-003-5.
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