Christchurch South

Christchurch South was a parliamentary electorate in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand from 1881 to 1890 and then from 1905 to 1946.

Population centres

The previous electoral redistribution was undertaken in 1875 for the 1875–76 election. In the six years since, New Zealand's European population had increased by 65%. In the 1881 electoral redistribution, the House of Representatives increased the number of European representatives to 91 (up from 84 since the 1875–76 election). The number of Māori electorates was held at four. The House further decided that electorates should not have more than one representative, which led to 35 new electorates being formed, including Christchurch South, and two electorates that had previously been abolished to be recreated. This necessitated a major disruption to existing boundaries.^[1]

The boundaries of the Christchurch South electorate were Worcester Street in the north (through Latimer and Cathedral Squares), Fitzgerald Avenue in the east (then called East Town Belt), Moorhouse Avenue in the south (then called South Town Belt), and Hagley Avenue (then called Lincoln Road) and Rolleston Avenue (then called Antigua Street) in the west. The electorate thus comprised the southern half of what is now considered the central city.^[2]

History

Thomas Joynt contested the Christchurch South electorate in the 1884 election, but was beaten by the incumbent, John Holmes, with 638 votes to 600.^[3]

Westby Perceval, Aaron Ayers, Henry Thomson and Eden George contested the Christchurch South electorate in the 1887 election. Perceval won the election.^[4][5]

The 1939 Christchurch South by-election held on 3 June was caused by the death of Ted Howard during the term of the 26th New Zealand Parliament. On nomination day, two candidates were put forward: Robert Macfarlane for the Labour Party and Melville Lyons for the National Party.^[6] Mabel Howard, Ted Howard's daughter, had hoped to be put forward by the Labour Party, and she was endorsed by the local branch of the party.^[7] The national executive of the Labour Party chose Macfarlane, and Howard believed that she was opposed by the party's hierarchy due to her connections to John A. Lee, who was seen as a radical within the party.^[8] The chosen candidate, Macfarlane, had been Mayor of Christchurch since the previous year.^[9] Macfarlane was the successful candidate.

Election results

The electorate was represented by five members of parliament.

Key

  Independent     New Liberal     Labour     Independent Liberal     United  

Election	Winner
1881 election		John Holmes
1884 election
1887 election		Westby Perceval
(Electorate abolished 1890–1905, see City of Christchurch)
1905 election		Harry Ell
1908 election
1911 election
1914 election
1919 election		Ted Howard
1922 election
1925 election
1928 election
1931 election
1935 election
1938 election
1939 by-election		Robert Macfarlane
1943 election
(Electorate abolished 1946)

Election results

1939 by-election

Christchurch South by-election, 1939
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Robert Macfarlane	7,900	66.36
	National	Melville Lyons	4,005	33.64
Majority			3,895	32.72	-10.80
Turnout			11,905	76.36[10]

1931 election

General election, 1931: Christchurch South[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ted Howard	7,344	61.77
	United	C S McCully	4,546	38.23
Majority			2,798	23.53
Registered electors			13,959
Turnout			11,890	85.18

1914 election

General election, 1914: Christchurch South[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Harry Ell	4,507	56.61
	United Labour	Gains Whiting	2,174	27.30
	Reform	Frederick Boulton Hughes	1,281	16.09
Majority			2,333	29.30
Informal votes			131	1.62
Turnout			8,093	88.46
Registered electors			9,149

1908 election

General election, 1908: Christchurch South, first ballot[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Harry Ell	3,500	53.36
	Ind. Labour League	Jim Thorn	2,227	33.95
	Independent Liberal	Charles Allison	832	12.68
Majority			1,273	19.41
Registered electors			8,260
Turnout			6,559	79.41

1905 election

General election, 1905: Christchurch South[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Harry Ell	3,689	57.16
	Independent	Charles Henry Winny	1,178	18.25
	Ind. Labour League	Jim Thorn	1,107	17.15
	Independent	John Hadfield	364	5.64
Majority
Informal votes			115	1.59
Turnout			6,453	89.45
Registered electors			7,214

References

1. McRobie 1989, pp. 43–48.
2. "Canterbury Electorates". The Star (Christchurch) (4158). 18 August 1881. p. 3. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
3. "The General Election, 1884". National Library. 1884. p. 2. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
4. "Christchurch South". The Star (6034). 16 September 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
5. "The General Election, 1887". National Library. 1887. p. 2. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
6. "City By-Election". The Evening Post. CXXVII (118). 22 May 1939. p. 11. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
7. "Labour Party Nomination". The Evening Post. CXXVII (102). 3 May 1939. p. 7. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
8. McAloon, Jim. "Howard, Mabel Bowden 1894–1972". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
9. "Chairmen and mayors". Christchurch: Christchurch City Council. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
10. "By-Election Result". Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette. 7 June 1939. p. 5. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
11. "Election Results". Auckland Star LXII (290). 8 December 1931. p. 3. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
12. Hislop, J. (1915). The General Election, 1914. National Library. p. 20. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
13. AtoJs 1908 election 1909, p. 18.
14. http://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&cl=search&d=AJHR1906-I.2.1.5.7. p. 4. External link in |title= (help);