| Election Name: | 1952 Tauranga mayoral by-election |
| Type: | Presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1950 Tauranga mayoral election |
| Previous Year: | 1950 |
| Next Election: | 1953 Tauranga mayoral election |
| Next Year: | 1953 |
| Election Date: | 18 October 1952 |
| Turnout: | 2,486 |
| Candidate1: | Lionel Wilkinson |
| Party1: | Independent politician |
| Popular Vote1: | 985 |
| Percentage1: | 39.63 |
| Candidate2: | Frederick Christian |
| Party2: | Independent politician |
| Popular Vote2: | 838 |
| Percentage2: | 33.71 |
| Candidate3: | Lionel Lees |
| Party3: | Independent politician |
| Popular Vote3: | 663 |
| Percentage3: | 26.66 |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Bill Barnard |
| After Election: | Lionel Wilkinson |
The 1952 Tauranga mayoral by-election was held to elect a successor to Bill Barnard who resigned as Mayor of Tauranga owing to ill-health. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.
Mayor Bill Barnard announced at a meeting of the Tauranga Borough Council on 16 July 1952 of his intention of resigning from his position on 1 August that year. He stated that the workload of his mayoral duties combined with those of his legal practice had begun to negatively affect his health.[1] Three candidates put themselves forward for the now vacated position. Councillors Frederick Newham Christian and Lionel Deacon Lees, as well as former mayor Lionel Wilkinson (who was defeated by Barnard in 1950) stood in the by-election.
The following table gives the election results: