Ernest Richard ToopCBEJP (3 October 1895 – 14 November 1976) was a New Zealand politician and businessman.
Biography
Early life
Ernest Richard Toop was born in 1895. He became a merchant in Wellington starting his own company, becoming the managing director of the firm of Toop and Neilson, Ltd. He was the president of the Island Bay branch of the Returned Services' Association.[1]
In 1956 Toop became embroiled in a selection controversy. Under the impression that incumbent mayor Robert Macalister was not intending to seek a third term as mayor, Toop applied to gain nomination as the Citizens' mayoral candidate. As the only applicant he was successful. However, Macalister had intended to run again and thought that he, as the incumbent, held automatic nomination. Undeterred, Macalister ran for mayor again in 1956 as an Independent which split the Citizens' vote enabling Labour's Frank Kitts to win the mayoralty.[6] Toop ran for mayor again in 1959 in a two-horse race against Kitts, but was again unsuccessful.[7]
^"The City Council". Evening Post. Vol. CXXXII, no. 125. 29 May 1944. p. 7. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
^Johnson, David (1996). "Members and Officers of the Wellington Harbour Board, Appendix 1". Wellington Harbour. Wellington Maritime Museum Trust. p. 475. ISBN0958349800.
^"Coronation Medal"(PDF). Supplement to the New Zealand Gazette. No. 37. 3 July 1953. pp. 1021–1035. Retrieved 20 March 2022.