Gisborne (New Zealand electorate)

Gisborne is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It existed from 1908 to 1996, and it was represented by 12 Members of Parliament.

Population centres

In the 1907 electoral redistribution, a major change that had to be allowed for was a reduction of the tolerance to ±750 to those electorates where the country quota applied. The North Island had once again a higher population growth than the South Island, and three seats were transferred from south to north. In the resulting boundary distribution, every existing electorate was affected, and three electorates were established for the first time, including the Taumarunui electorate. These changes took effect with the 1908 election.^[1]

The city of Gisborne was located within the electorate. In the initial area covered by the electorate, the city was located near the electorate's northern border, and it went as far south as just short of Bay View. Wairoa was thus also located within the initial area.^[2]

In the 1911 electoral redistribution, the southern boundary shifted north significantly, and Wairoa was lost to the Hawke's Bay electorate.^[3] In the 1918 electoral redistribution, the Gisborne electorate lost large inland areas, but re-gained Wairoa.^[4] In the 1922 electoral redistribution, changes to the boundaries were minimal,^[5] and in the 1927 electoral redistribution, the electorate was left unaltered.^[6]

In the 1937 electoral redistribution, large inland areas were gained and Wairoa lost.^[7] The changes in the 1946 electoral redistribution were most significant, with the city of Gisborne now located near the southern boundary of the electorate, and all of the East Cape being gained. The electorate now included the settlements of Te Karaka, Matawai, Tolaga Bay, and Tokomaru Bay.^[8]

History

The electorate existed from 1908 to 1996, when it was replaced by the Mahia electorate, which was renamed East Coast from 2002. Its first representative was James Carroll of the Liberal Party, who served for three terms until his defeat in the 1919 election.^[9] Douglas Lysnar represented the Gisborne electorate from 1919 to 1931, when he was defeated.

In the 1928 contest Lysnar stood as an Independent supporter of the Reform Party and was successful. During 1930, he stopped supporting the Reform Party and became fully independent.^[10] At the following election in 1931 he ran as an Independent, but was not returned,^[11] beaten by Labour's David William Coleman.^[12]

Members of Parliament

Key

  Liberal     Reform     Independent     Labour     National  

Election	Winner
1908 election		James Carroll
1911 election
1914 election
1919 election		Douglas Lysnar
1922 election
1925 election
1928 election
1931 election		David Coleman
1935 election
1938 election
1943 election
1946 election
1949 election		Reginald Keeling
1951 election		Harry Dudfield
1954 election		Reginald Keeling (2nd period)
1957 election
1960 election		Esme Tombleson
1963 election
1966 election
1969 election
1972 election		Trevor Davey
1975 election		Bob Bell
1978 election
1981 election
1984 election		Allan Wallbank
1987 election
1990 election		Wayne Kimber
1993 election		Janet Mackey
(Electorate abolished in 1996)

Election results

1931 election

General election, 1931: Gisborne[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David William Coleman	4,436	44.94
	Independent	Douglas Lysnar	4,124	41.78
	Reform	Harry de Lautour	1,311	13.28
Majority			312	3.16
Informal votes			29	0.29
Turnout			9,900	83.42
Registered electors			11,867

1922 election

General election, 1922: Gisborne[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Douglas Lysnar	3,465	38.71	+0.80
	Liberal	George Wildish[14]	2,965	33.12
	Labour	Tom Brindle	2,521	28.16	-0.66
Majority			500	5.59	+0.94
Turnout			8,951	80.61	+10.95
Registered electors			11,104

1919 election

General election, 1919: Gisborne[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Reform	Douglas Lysnar	3,041	37.91
	Liberal	James Carroll	2,668	33.26
	Labour	Tom Brindle	2,312	28.82
Majority			373	4.65
Informal votes			114	1.40
Turnout			8,135	69.66
Registered electors			11,678

Notes

1. McRobie 1989, pp. 71f.
2. McRobie 1989, pp. 70f.
3. McRobie 1989, pp. 74f.
4. McRobie 1989, pp. 78f.
5. McRobie 1989, pp. 82f.
6. McRobie 1989, p. 87.
7. McRobie 1989, pp. 90f.
8. McRobie 1989, pp. 94f.
9. Wilson 1985, p. 188.
10. "State of Parties". Auckland Star LXII (5). 7 January 1931. p. 3. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
11. Wilson, James Oakley (1985), The New Zealand Parliamentary Record 1840–1984 (4th ed.), Wellington, [N.Z.]: Government Printer
12. The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 2. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
13. "Official Counts". The Evening Post CIV (144). 15 December 1922. p. 8. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
14. "Women Take Part". The Evening Post CXX (107). 1 November 1935. p. 14. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
15. The New Zealand Official Year-Book. Government Printer. 1920. Retrieved 2 August 2013.

References

• 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.