Five chairmen presided in the initial years:[2] The town council held a meeting on 10 June 1868 to elect its first mayor.

Thomson moved that Wilson be elected as the first mayor of Christchurch, and Tombs seconded the motion.

[7][8] Fred Hobbs, the incumbent, was the only candidate nominated, so he was declared elected unopposed on 17 December 1875.

[15] This was changed to biennial elections "on the last Wednesday in April" with the Municipal Corporations Amendment Act, 1913.

[27] Five deputy-mayors were later elected as mayors: John Beanland, James Flesher, Dan Sullivan, Ernest Andrews, and George Manning.

Four deputy-mayors were mayors before they served as deputies: Henry Thacker, John Archer, Robert Macfarlane, and Vicki Buck.

[2] Since October 2022, the current deputy mayor is Pauline Cotter, who is representing the Innes ward.