James Belich (mayor)

Sir James Belich (25 July 1927 – 13 September 2015) was a New Zealand local politician. He was the Mayor of Wellington from 1986 to 1992.

Early life

Belich was born in Awanui, Northland, to parents of Croat descent. He was head boy at Otahuhu College.^[1] He received his tertiary education at the Auckland University College and Victoria University College, graduating from the latter with a Bachelor of Arts in 1955.^[2] In 1951, Belich married Valerie Anzulovich, who was also of Croatian descent. They had three children, including the historian Professor James Belich.^[1] He worked for the firm J. Inglis Wright Advertising from 1956 to 1986.

Political career

In 1986 Belich was elected Mayor of Wellington, despite having no previous experience as an elected official and was re-elected in 1989. He also served on the Wellington Regional Council and Wellington Harbour Board from 1986 to 1989. Belich retired in 1992.

Later life and death

In the 1991 New Year Honours Belich was appointed as a Knight Bachelor for services to local government and the community.^[3] In 2008 he was made an honorary citizen of the town that his family came from, Korčula in Dalmatia, Croatia.^[4] Belich died on 13 September 2015.^[1]

References

External links

• James Belich in 1986 (photo)

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