Archibald Clark (politician)

Archibald Clark
Archibald Clark in 1860
1st Mayor of the Auckland Borough Council
In office 1851–1852
Preceded by	new office
Succeeded by	office abolished
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for City of Auckland
In office 5 April 1860 – 5 November 1860
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Auckland East
In office 1866 – 1870
Preceded by	Thomas Russell
Succeeded by	Julius Vogel
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Franklin
In office 1871 – 1874
Personal details
Born	1805 Beith,  Scotland
Died	17 October 1875(1875-10-17) Remuera, Auckland,  New Zealand
Political party	Independent
Religion	Presbyterian

Archibald Clark (1805 – 17 October 1875) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament in the Auckland Region, New Zealand. He was the first Mayor of Auckland in 1851. His company, Archibald Clark and Sons, manufactured clothing and was a wholesaler.

Clark was born in Beith, Scotland, in 1805, the son of Andrew Clark. He attended the University of Glasgow to become a Presbyterian minister, but returned home to take over his ill father's business before completing his studies. His first wife was Margaret McCosh, the daughter of a wealthy coal mine owner. Their eldest son, James Clark, was born in 1833 in Beith and became a mayor of Auckland (1880–1883). Clark decided to emigrate and they left London on the barque Thames on 18 July 1849, and arrived in Auckland with his third wife and four children on 25 November.

Clark established a drapery store in Shortland Street in 1850 and initially imported, but later manufactured clothing. In 1856 or 1857, his son James became a partner in the business, which became known as Archibald Clark and Sons. The company became quite large, at one time having 500 employees. Their building on the corner of Wellesley Street West and Elliott Street in the Auckland CBD, built in 1910, is registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category II heritage structure. The company ceased trading in 1928.

In 1851, local government was inaugurated in Auckland with the establishment of the Borough of Auckland. Clark was elected as the inaugural and only mayor of the borough council, serving in 1851–1852. However the legality of Auckland's elevation as a Borough was legally contested and overturned. Auckland was placed under the care of a Board of Governors, whose Chairman was Archibald Clark. He was succeeded by Walter Lee, who was chairman in 1852–1854. It was not until 1871, that Auckland was formally incorporated and Philip Philips was elected as the first mayor of the city council (by the other city councillors and not by popular vote).