What is the role of the Mayor?

Wellington has a Mayor and a Deputy Mayor who are elected by a vote of all Councillors each year at the Council’s annual meeting in May.

The Mayor chairs the Council’s monthly meetings. The Deputy Mayor, as the title implies, deputises for the Mayor in their absence, and by convention becomes the Mayor when the role falls vacant, though this is not always the case.

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor represent the Council at civic occasions within the town of Wellington, such as the annual Remembrance events. They are also the face of Wellington at outside events such as charity fundraisers, civic services, and carnivals.

In recent times, it has become common for the Mayor to be invited to perform the official openings of local events and campaigns, and of new shops and businesses, and also to visit charities and other voluntary groups to see their work.

To make a request for the Mayor to attend an occasion, please contact us with a time, place, and description of the event.

History of Mayors and Chairmen

Before the role of the Mayor was introduced in 2008, Wellington had a Chairman who would chair meetings and represent the Council. The first Mayor of Wellington was Peter Critchard, who served in 2008 and 2009.

Below is a list of all our previous Mayors and Chairmen and the years that they served this position:

G.E.F. Cox – 1973 (shadow Town Council)
P.G.C. Farrant -1974, 1975
M.C. Jennings – 1976, 1977, 1990,1991
E.J. Warren – 1978, 1979
D.F.B. Wrench – 1980, 1981
P. Lee – 1982, 1983
G. Allen – 1984, 1985
M.F. Hart – 1986, 1987
J.H. Nash – 1988, 1989
V. Byrne – 1992, 1993
M.R. Rose – 1994, 1995
R. Henley – 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003
P. Watkin – 1998, 1999
A. Govier – 2000, 2001, 2010, 2011
R. Bowrah – 2004, 2005, 2016
D. Mitton – 2006, 2007, 2014
P Critchard – 2008, 2009
V. Stock-Williams – 2012
G. Copley – 2013
J. Lloyd – 2015, 2019, 2020, 2024, 2025
G. James – 2017, 2018
M. Lithgow – 2021, 2022
M. Barr – 2023