In 1959, campaigning on a populist platform as "Robbie" he defeated the incumbent Citizens & Ratepayers mayor Keith Buttle which caused much resentment.
A hallmark of Robinson's first two terms as mayor was the perpetual animosity between himself and the Citizens & Ratepayers councillors, who despised Robinson's popularity, working-class origins and social conduct.
Robinson's main drive in his first period as mayor was a proposed merging of the 32 separate city, borough and county councils in greater Auckland into a regional authority that could collectively decide on issues of regional importance.
He won over smaller councils (who mostly opposed the reforms) and exploited Parliamentary recommendations for compulsory council amalgamations to forge the issue ahead successfully on condition that the existing councils were left intact.
After being re-elected in 1962, the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA) was established in 1963 and Robinson was chosen as its founding chairman.

Robinson described 1965 as his annus horribilis.
He had a very public break-up with his fourth wife Thelma (who only wanted two terms as mayoress), he lost the 1965 mayoral election by 1,134 votes to Citizens & Ratepayers candidate Roy McElroy and despite being re-elected to the ARA, he was denied any chairman responsibilities.
He endured a three-year political hiatus and was now a single parent.
In 1959, campaigning on a populist platform as "Robbie" he defeated the incumbent Citizens & Ratepayers mayor Keith Buttle which caused much resentment. A hallmark of Robinson's first two terms as mayor was the perpetual animosity between himself and the Citizens & Ratepayers councillors, who despised Robinson's popularity, working-class origins and social conduct. Robinson's main drive in his first period as mayor was a proposed merging of the 32 separate city, borough and county councils in greater Auckland into a regional authority that could collectively decide on issues of regional importance. He won over smaller councils (who mostly opposed the reforms) and exploited Parliamentary recommendations for compulsory council amalgamations to forge the issue ahead successfully on condition that the existing councils were left intact. After being re-elected in 1962, the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA) was established in 1963 and Robinson was chosen as its founding chairman.
Robinson described 1965 as his annus horribilis. He had a very public break-up with his fourth wife Thelma (who only wanted two terms as mayoress), he lost the 1965 mayoral election by 1,134 votes to Citizens & Ratepayers candidate Roy McElroy and despite being re-elected to the ARA, he was denied any chairman responsibilities. He endured a three-year political hiatus and was now a single parent.
Dove-Myer Robinson