William Crowther

Career

Crowther was Mayor of Auckland from 1891 to 1893, after serving as a city councillor for sixteen years

Crowther represented the City of Auckland multi-member electorate first as a Liberal Party then independent conservative from 1893 to 1900, when he died. William Crowther was born in Lancashire, England, in 1834. At the early age of nineteen he migrated to Victoria, and was a successful contractor on the goldfields for ten years.

He was then attracted to Otago by the gold “rush” to the Dunstan, and brought with him a number of teams of horses and waggons.

He later moved to Auckland and founded a "bus service between Auckland and Remuera, based in the Victoria stables, Wellesley Street East, which he built.

Achievements

• The resulting by-election on 27 April 1900 was won by Joseph Witheford.

Membership

As well as serving on the city council and as Mayor of Auckland, Mr. Crowther was also a member of the governing body of Auckland College and Grammar school, the city schools" committee, Charitable Aid Board, and Sailors" Home. Foreign some years he was a member of the Harbour Board, and was chairman for a term.