Waitemata (New Zealand electorate) explained

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 New Zealand census data and was used in its initial form for the . It was located north of the various urban Auckland electorates and south of the electorate. The following settlements were included in its initial area: Cornwallis, Huia, Parau, Laingholm, Titirangi, Waiatarua, Oratia, Piha, Henderson Valley, Swanson, Rānui, Waitākere township, Taupaki, Kumeū, Hobsonville, Whenuapai, Takapuna, and Helensville.

The First Labour Government was defeated in the 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. 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. These changes took effect with the .

History

The electorate existed from 1871 to 1946, and from 1954 to 1978.

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

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

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

Members of Parliament

Waitemata was represented by 18 Members of Parliament.

Key

width=100Electionwidth=175 colspan=2Winner
Thomas Henderson
1st 1874 by-electionGustav von der Heyde
2nd 1874 by-election
1876 electionJohn Macfarlane
Reader Wood
William Hurst
Richard Monk
Jackson Palmer
Richard Monk
William Massey
Richard Monk
Ewen Alison
height=36 rowspan=2 Leonard Phillips
Alexander Harris
rowspan=3
Jack Lyon
Mary Dreaver
Henry Morton
(electorate abolished 1946–1954, see)
Norman King
Frank Gill
Michael Bassett
Dail Jones
(electorate abolished 1978, see)

Election results

July 1874 Waitemata by-election

References