On 10 June 1868, eight councillors unanimously elected the first Mayor of Christchurch. There have been 46 Christchurch mayors, but William ‘Cabbage’ Wilson was our first.
‘Oh dear’, I hear you say; what an unfortunate nickname to be saddled with. I couldn’t agree more. Now before your imagination takes flight... the nickname was earned because of a hat made of cabbage tree leaves that he wore. It also served to differentiate him from two other prominent Christchurch William Wilsons - 'Nabob' and 'Parson'.
But I digress. William Wilson had far more to be remembered for than just an unusual nickname, hats made of leaves and what was apparently a fabulous combover. He was a very prominent nurseryman and landowner in the central city as well as being quite active in the community and local politics; which led to him being elected as Christchurch’s first Mayor.
However the higher you rise the further you have to fall. And this is what happened in spectacular style to William Wilson. It all began with his fraud conviction from the sneaky use of land that he was trustee for. Hot on the heels of this scandal, his wife came forward to seek protection from his abuse as she feared for her life. Apparently he didn't feel that he was in enough hot water so he tried to break into her house for which he was arrested. His fall from grace was complete.
However, in an odd twist he did manage to get re-elected to council 10 years after his stint as Mayor and this caused an uproar among 5 of the sitting councillors who resigned in protest. Well, that won’t make you popular among your peers, will it? Big news at the time and thankfully he managed to perform his duties without further scandal; but his time in the world of politics was drawing to a close.
He did manage to claw back some respectability though for his ability to grow prize worthy vegetables of substantial size. Try to imagine a cauliflower that was over 3 feet in circumference and weighed 11 pounds! That’s nearly 5 kg of cauliflower - pass me the cheese sauce!
So with such a legacy to be remembered for, its little wonder that we don’t exactly celebrate the man and his achievements. Maybe it’s also a great shame that his bad behaviour has so overshadowed the good work that he achieved in his lifetime. Fortunately, we do still have daily reminders of what he did contribute to our city - even if we are unaware of it. Next time you are driving down Wilson's Road past AMI Stadium spare a thought for our first Mayor as the street you are driving on was named for him. When you next admire the lovely old trees that grace the centre islands of Fitzgerald or Bealey Avenues or maybe the trees on the banks of the Avon River, don't forget that William Wilson was Subcommittee Chairman for the landscaping of these areas. Finally, something beautiful and lasting to be remembered for.
More about William Wilson
- William 'Cabbage' Wilson in High Street Stories
- Charlie Challenger. Wilson, William Barbour, from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 8-Apr-2014
- City's stroppy first mayor no stranger to police Anna Price, Stuff, 29 January 2016
- William Barbour Wilson Peeling back history
- Our biography of his mother-in-law Isabella Williams
Now that your interest is piqued about Christchurch mayors, see what some of them got up to in their lives:
- Ripped apart, opens a new window Bob Parker
- Dare to achieve, opens a new window A. R. Guthrey
- Hay days, opens a new window Hamish Hay
- Eventful years - Anecdotes and recollections of a busy life, opens a new window Ernest H. Andrews
- May your shadow never grow less, opens a new window Helen Thomas
Add a comment to: Christchurch’s first Mayor – William ‘Cabbage’ Wilson