Waitemata (New Zealand electorate)

Waitemata was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, from 1871 to 1946, and then from 1954 to 1978. It was represented by 18 members of parliament.

Population centres

The Waitemata electorate was created in the 1870 electoral redistribution based on 1867 census data and was used in its initial form for the 1871 election.^[1] It was located north of the various urban Auckland electorates and south of the Rodney electorate.^[2] The following settlements were included in its initial area: Cornwallis, Huia, Parau, Laingholm, Titirangi, Waiatarua, Oratia, Piha, Henderson Valley, Swanson, Ranui, Waitakere, Taupaki, Kumeu, Hobsonville, Whenuapai, Takapuna, and Helensville.^[2]

The First Labour Government was defeated in the 1949 election and the incoming National Government changed the Electoral Act, with the electoral quota once again based on total population as opposed to qualified electors, and the tolerance was increased to 7.5% of the electoral quota. There was no adjustments in the number of electorates between the South and North Islands, but the law changes resulted in boundary adjustments to almost every electorate through the 1952 electoral redistribution; only five electorates were unaltered.^[3] Five electorates were reconstituted (including Waitemata) and one was newly created, and a corresponding six electorates were abolished; all of these in the North Island.^[4] These changes took effect with the 1954 election.^[5]

History

The electorate existed from 1871 to 1946, and from 1954 to 1978.^[6]

Early members were Thomas Henderson 1871–1874 (resigned),^[7] Gustav von der Heyde 1874–1875 (unseated on petition),^[8] John Sangster Macfarlane 1876–1879 (defeated),^[9] Reader Wood 1879–1881 (retired),^[10] William John Hurst 1881–1886 (died),^[11] Richard Monk 1886–1890 (defeated),^[12] and Jackson Palmer 1890–1893 (defeated).^[13]

The election of Richard Monk, who stood again in 1893, was declared invalid.^[12] From 1894 to 1896 Waitemata was held by future Prime Minister William Massey, until he transferred to Franklin.^[14] Richard Monk held the electorate for the period 1896–1902.^[12] The seat was then held by Ewen Alison from 1902 to 1908,^[15] Leonard Phillips from 1908 to 1911,^[16] and Alexander Harris from 1911 to 1935.^[17]

In 1946 Henry Thorne Morton, who had held the seat from 1943, was defeated for North Shore.^[18]

Members of Parliament

Waitemata was represented by 18 Members of Parliament.^[6]

Key

  Independent     Independent Liberal     Conservative     Reform     Labour     National  

Election resutls

1941 by-election

1935 election

1931 election

1928 election

1925 election

1922 election

1919 election

1914 election

1911 election

1908 election

1905 election

1902 election

1899 election

1894 by-election

1890 election

Notes

References

• Gustafson, Barry (1980). Labour's path to political independence: The Origins and Establishment of the New Zealand Labour Party, 1900–19. Auckland, New Zealand: Auckland University Press. ISBN 0-19-647986-X. 
• Mansfield, F. W. (1909). The General Election, 1908. National Library. Retrieved 4 December 2014. 
• Mansfield, F. W. (1912). The General Election, 1911. National Library. Retrieved 5 December 2014. 
• McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8. 
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.