Frank Kitts

Sir Frank Kitts
27th Mayor of Wellington
In office 1956–1974
Preceded by	Robert Macalister
Succeeded by	Michael Fowler
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Wellington Central
In office 1954–1960
Preceded by	Charles Henry Chapman
Succeeded by	Dan Riddiford
Personal details
Born	1 May 1912 Waimate, New Zealand
Died	16 March 1979 Wellington, New Zealand
Political party	Labour
Spouse(s)	Iris May Woodcock

Sir Francis "Frank" Joseph Kitts (1 May 1912 – 16 March 1979) was a New Zealand politician. He was the longest-serving mayor of Wellington, holding the post from 1956 to 1974. He was the Labour Member of Parliament for Wellington Central between 1954 and 1960.

Biography

Early life

Kitts was born in Waimate, the son of an Australian quarryman, and educated at Timaru Boys' High School. He joined the Timaru branch of the Labour Party at 13 or 16, and was branch president at 22.^[1] In 1938 Kitts stood unsuccessfully for the Timaru Borough Council as a Labour candidate.^[2] Later, he moved to Wellington, working for the Government Stores Board. Newspaper reports after his death say he was a "man of mystery" as little is known about his early life,^[3][4] and his Who’s Who in New Zealand entries in 1971 and 1978 both start with his election to Wellington local bodies in 1950. Kitts enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in July 1940 during World War II.^[5]

Political career

Kitts stood unsuccessfully for Labour in two elections, in 1949 for Waitomo, and in 1951 for Mount Victoria. He was finally elected as the Member of Parliament for Wellington Central from 1954 to replace the retiring Charles Henry Chapman. He was to hold the seat to 1960, when he was defeated by the National candidate Dan Riddiford.^[6]

Kitts was on the Wellington City Council from 1950 to 1956, when he became Mayor. In 1950 the Labour Party had no obvious mayoral candidate, and Labour councillor Gerald O'Brien suggested to Kitts, then a civil servant, that he should stand. Kitts was the highest-polling councillor, although he did not win the mayoralty until 1956. Like Norman Kirk, also from Waimate, he was a big man, using his imposing six foot two inch, 17 stone frame to overshadow his opponents. ^[7]

He also served on the Wellington Fire Board from 1954, and the Wellington Hospital Board from 1950 to 1956, and the Wellington Harbour Board from 1950 until his death in 1979.

Kitts was known for his tireless public service, which continued after his retirement, including helping Wellington's immigrant community. In the 1966 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Knight Bachelor for services as mayor of Wellington.^[8]

Frank Kitts Park.

Frank Kitts Park on Wellington's waterfront is named after him. The park, on the site formerly used for a row of wharf sheds, was opened in 1976 and extended in the late 1980s. There is a children's playground, the orange foremast recovered from TEV Wahine, and a water sculpture The Albatross by Tanya Ashken.

References

External links

• Frank Kitts, candidate, in 1950 (photo)
• The Duke of Edinburgh and Frank Kitts in 1956 (photo 1)
• The Duke of Edinburgh and Frank Kitts in 1956 (photo 2)
• Cartoon of Frank Kitts & Michael Fowler in 1974

Mayors of Wellington City
Mayors	elected by councillors George Hunter William Guyton Joseph Dransfield Charles Borlase William Sefton Moorhouse elected at large William Hutchison Joseph Dransfield George Allen William Hutchison George Fisher Arthur Winton Brown Samuel Brown John Duthie Charles Johnston Arthur Winton Brown Francis Bell Alfred Brandon Charles Luke George Fisher Francis Bell John Blair John Aitken Thomas William Hislop Alfred Newman Thomas Wilford David McLaren John Luke Robert Wright Charles Norwood George Troup Thomas Hislop Will Appleton Rob Macalister Frank Kitts Michael Fowler Ian Lawrence James Belich Fran Wilde Mark Blumsky Kerry Prendergast Celia Wade-Brown Justin Lester
Mayoral elections	Annual term 1875 1876† 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 Biennial term 1899 1901 1903† 1905 1907 1909 1910‡ 1911† 1912‡ 1913 1915 1917† 1919 1921 1923 1925 1927 1929 1931 1933† Triennial term 1935 1938 1941 1944 1947 1950 1953 1956 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016
† Elected unopposed · ‡ By-election