Henry Wigram

The Honourable Sir Henry Wigram
Henry Wigram in 1903

25th Mayor of Christchurch
In office 1902–1904
Preceded by	Arthur Rhodes
Succeeded by	Charles Gray
New Zealand Legislative Council
In office 22 June 1903 – 12 October 1920
Personal details
Born	18 January 1857
Died	6 May 1934
Nationality	New Zealand
Spouse(s)	Agnes

Sir Henry Francis Wigram (18 January 1857 – 6 May 1934) was a British-born New Zealand businessman, politician and aviation promoter. He is best known for his role in developing a public transport system in Christchurch and as a key player in the establishment of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Early life and business

The son of Henry Knox Wigram, a barrister, and a grandson of Octavius Wigram (1794–1878), Governor of the Royal Exchange Assurance Corporation, Wigram was born in London and was educated at Harrow School. His mother was Mary Anne Pomeroy, a daughter of the 5th Viscount Harberton (1790–1862).^[1]

After working for the Bank of England and a shipping company, ill-health led him to emigrate to New Zealand, where he arrived in 1883. He returned to England briefly in 1885 in order to marry Agnes Vernon Sullivan. They had no children, and Agnes survived Henry by 23 years, dying in 1957.^[2]

Together with his brother, William Arthur Wigram, Henry bought a malthouse and brickworks business in the Heathcote Valley between Christchurch and Lyttelton. They soon took over two other brickworks and pipeworks and founded a nail factory and seed company. His prominence in business led to Wigram being invited to chair the committee for the Canterbury Jubilee celebration in 1900, and he remained heavily involved in public affairs for the next thirty years.

Mayor of Christchurch

Henry Wigram wearing mayoral chains

In 1902, Wigram was nominated for the mayoralty and was elected unopposed on 23 April,^[2]^[3] and re-elected unopposed a year later on 21 April 1903.^[4] He worked on improving the tramway system, which until that time used horse-drawn trams with three independent operators. The Christchurch Tramway Board was formed in 1903, with Wigram as deputy-chairman. In order to facilitate planning and the development of infrastructure, Wigram campaigned for a reduction in the eleven separate boroughs that made up Greater Christchurch, and was successful in getting Linwood, St Albans and Sydenham to amalgamate with the city. The Tramway Board commenced electric tram services in 1905.

Legislative Council

On 22 June 1903, Wigram was appointed to the Legislative Council by the Liberal Government. He retired from his business interests but retained a number of company directorships, including that of the Lyttelton Times newspaper. He resigned from the Legislative Council on 12 October 1920.

Aviation

Wigram became aware of the potential of aviation during a visit to England in 1908. Unsuccessful at persuading the New Zealand Government to become involved in aviation, he formed a private flying school in Christchurch in 1916. This was the second in the country, the Walsh brothers having opened the New Zealand Flying School at Auckland a year earlier.

Wigram purchased land at Sockburn for his Canterbury (NZ) Aviation Company and at his own expense purchased three Caudron biplanes from Britain. The aim of the school was to train pilots for the war, to promote aviation in local defence and to pioneer commercial aviation.

By 1919, the school had built 10 aircraft and trained 182 pilots. Wigram offered the school to the government for defence purposes, but it took another four years and £10,000 donation before the government accepted. The airfield at Sockburn was renamed Wigram in honour of its founder.

Wigram was also one of the founders of the Canterbury Aero Club and was the first patron of the New Zealand Aero Club in 1930. He was knighted in the 1926 New Year Honours "in recognition of his public services".^[5]

In 1949, his widow Agnes presented the Lady Wigram Trophy, and an annual motor race was established at the Wigram airbase.

Bibliography

Wigram, Henry (1916). The Story of Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch: Lyttelton Times.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henry Wigram.

↑ Henry Francis Wigram at thepeerage.com, accessed 28 February 2011
1 2 Ogilvie, Gordon. "Wigram, Henry Francis". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
↑ "The Mayoral Elections". The Press. LIX (11252). 18 April 1902. p. 3. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
↑ "City Council". The Press (11564). 22 April 1903. p. 10. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 33119. pp. 2–3. 29 December 1925.

Political offices
Preceded by Arthur Rhodes	Mayor of Christchurch 1902–1904	Succeeded by Charles Gray

Mayors of Christchurch

Chairman

Mayors

elected by councillors	William Wilson John Anderson Andrew Duncan James Jameson Henry Sawtell Edward Bishop Michael Hart Fred Hobbs

elected at large	Fred Hobbs James Gapes Henry Thomson Charles Thomas Ick James Gapes (2nd) George Ruddenklau Charles Hulbert Aaron Ayers Charles Louisson Samuel Manning Charles Gray William Prudhoe Eden George Thomas Gapes Walter Cooper Harry Joseph Beswick Walter Cooper (2nd) Charles Louisson (2nd) William Reece Arthur Rhodes Henry Wigram Charles Mathew Gray (2nd) John Hall George Payling Charles Allison Thomas Taylor John Joseph Dougall¹ Henry Holland Henry Thacker James Arthur Flesher Rev John Archer Dan Sullivan John Beanland Robert Macfarlane Ernest Andrews Robert Macfarlane (2nd) George Manning Ron Guthrey Neville Pickering Hamish Hay Vicki Buck Garry Moore Bob Parker Lianne Dalziel

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† 1899† 1901† 1902† 1903† 1904† 1905 1906† 1907† 1908 1909 1910† 1911 1912 1913 1914

biennial term	1915 1917 1919 1921 1923 1925 1927 1929 1931 1933

triennial term	1935 1936‡ 1938 1941 1944 1947 1950 1953 1956 1958‡ 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016

† Elected unopposed · ‡ By-election · ¹ appointed following death of incumbent

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