New Zealand general election, 1902

New Zealand general election, 1902

25 November (general) & 22 December (Māori) 1902

All 80 seats in the New Zealand House of Representatives 41 seats were needed for a majority Turnout 76.7%   First party Second party   Leader Richard Seddon No Leader Party Liberal Independent Leader since 1893 Leader's seat Westland Last election 49 seats 19 seats Seats won 47 19 Seat change 2 Popular vote 215,378 85,652 Percentage 51.8 20.6 Swing 1.9 16.0

Prime Minister before election Richard Seddon Liberal Prime Minister-designate Richard Seddon Liberal

The New Zealand general election of 1902 was held on Tuesday, 25 November in the general electorates, and on Monday, 22 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 15th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number of 415,789 (76.7%) voters turned out to vote.^[1]

The Rev Frank Isitt was nominated as the Prohibitionist candidate for ten separate electorates, and came second in eight. Another candidate, D Whyte, was nominated for two. Both men stood to ensure that a local liquor licensing poll was held in each electorate for which they were nominated.

1902 electoral redistribution

The Representation Act 1900 had increased the membership of the House of Representatives from general electorates 70 to 76, and this was implemented through the 1902 electoral redistribution. In 1902, changes to the country quota affected the three-member electorates in the four main centres. The tolerance between electorates was increased to ±1,250 so that the Representation Commissions (since 1896, there had been separate commissions for the North and South Islands) could take greater account of communities of interest. These changes proved very disruptive to existing boundaries.^[2] Six electorates were established for the first time: Courtenay, Newtown, Grey Lynn , Hurunui, Oroua, and Kaipara. Two electorates that previously existed were re-established: Mount Ida and Hutt.^[3]

This boundary redistribution resulted in the abolition of three electorates:^[3]

• Ashley, held by Richard Meredith
• Suburbs of Wellington, held by Thomas Wilford
• Waihemo, held by Thomas Mackenzie

Results

Frank Isitt, a Methodist minister, stood in ten seats as a Prohibition candidate, and came second in eight.

Party totals

The following table gives party strengths and vote distribution according to Wilson (1985), who records Maori representatives as Independents prior to the 1905 election.^[4]

Party		Total votes	Percentage	Seats won
	Liberal	215,378	51.8	47
	Opposition	85,652	20.6	19
	Independent	115,173	27.7	14

The following are the results of the 1902 general election:

Key

  Liberal     Opposition     Independent Liberal        Liberal-Labour   Independent  

Electorate results for the New Zealand general election, 1902^[5]

Electorate	Incumbent		Winner		Majority	Runner up
General electorates
Ashburton		John McLachlan			439		John Studholme
Auckland, City of		William Joseph Napier		Alfred Kidd	1,440		William Richardson
		Joseph Witheford			938
		George Fowlds		Frederick Baume	94
Chalmers	(new electorate)			Edmund Allen	612		John White
Egmont		Walter Symes		William Thomas Jennings	15		Charles Leech[6]
Napier		Alfred Fraser			1,490		Richard Joseph Eames[7]
Oamaru		Thomas Duncan			880		John Marshall Brown[8]
Waipawa		Charles Hall			1,568		James Taylor
Waitemata		Richard Monk		Ewen Alison	714		Alexander John Hatfield[9]
Wellington, City of		John Hutcheson		John Aitken	1,504		Patrick O'Regan
		Arthur Atkinson		John Duthie	582
		George Fisher			381
Westland		Richard Seddon					Frank Isitt
Māori electorates
Eastern Maori		Wi Pere					Pirimi Mataiawhea
Northern Maori		Hone Heke					Hamiora Mangakahia
Southern Maori		Tame Parata					Hone Taare Tikao
Western Maori		Henare Kaihau			2,370		Ngarangi Katitia

Electorate	Incumbent	Winner	Runners Up
Avon	William Tanner	William Tanner	John Russell Brunt
Awarua	Joseph Ward	Joseph Ward	D Whyte
Bay of Islands	Robert Houston	Robert Houston	A G C Glass
Bay of Plenty	William Herries	William Herries	D Lundon
Bruce	James Allen	James Allen	J A Scott
Buller	James Colvin	James Colvin	Frank Isitt
Caversham	Thomas Sidey	Thomas Sidey	William Earnshaw
City of Christchurch (3 members)	George John Smith	Thomas Davey	Collins Smith Turnbull
	Harry Ell	Harry Ell
	William Whitehouse Collins	Tommy Taylor
Clutha	James Thomson	James Thomson	D Stewart
Courtenay	(New Electorate)	Charles Lewis	John Rennie
City of Dunedin (3 members)	Alfred R. Barclay	Harry Bedford	Alfred R. Barclay Chisholm
	John A. Millar	John A. Millar
	James Frederick Arnold	James Frederick Arnold
Eden	John Bollard	John Bollard	P E Cheal
Ellesmere	Heaton Rhodes	Heaton Rhodes	C R Thornton
Franklin	William Massey	William Massey	A R Harris
Geraldine	Frederick Flatman	Frederick Flatman	William Maslin
Grey	Arthur Guinness	Arthur Guinness	Frank Isitt
Grey Lynn	(New Electorate)	George Fowlds	T T Masefield
Hawera	Felix McGuire	Charles E. Major	Felix McGuire
Hawke's Bay	William Russell	William Russell	Frank Isitt
Hurunui	(New Electorate)	Andrew Rutherford	Henry Fear Reece
Hutt	(New Electorate)	Thomas Wilford	Frederick Pirani
Invercargill	Josiah Hanan	Josiah Hanan	D Whyte
Kaiapoi	David Buddo	David Buddo	Alfred Daniel Hassall
Kaipara	(New Electorate)	Alfred Harding	John Stallworthy
Lyttelton	George Laurenson	George Laurenson	William Rollitt
Manawatu	John Stevens	Job Vile	John Stevens
Manukau	Maurice O'Rorke	Matthew Kirkbride	Maurice O'Rorke
Marsden	Robert Thompson	Francis Mander	Robert Thompson
Masterton	Alexander Hogg	Alexander Hogg	J C Cooper
Mataura	Robert McNab	Robert McNab	I W Raymond
Motueka	Roderick McKenzie	Roderick McKenzie	Frank Isitt
Mount Ida	(New Electorate)	Alexander Herdman	J Ewing
City of Nelson	John Graham	John Graham	Harry Atmore
Newtown	(New Electorate)	William Henry Peter Barber	Thomas William Hislop
Ohinemuri	Jackson Palmer	Edward George Britton Moss	Jackson Palmer
Oroua	(New Electorate)	Frank Lethbridge	Arthur Henry Tompkins
Otaki	Henry Augustus Field	William Hughes Field	Frank Isitt
Pahiatua	John O'Meara	John O'Meara	S Bolton
Palmerston	Frederick Pirani	William Wood	T R Hodder
Parnell	Frank Lawry	Frank Lawry	J M Shera
Patea	Frederick Haselden	Walter Symes	Frederick Haselden
Rangitikei	Frank Lethbridge	Arthur Remington	W J Birch
Riccarton	George Russell	George Witty	George Russell
Selwyn	Charles Hardy	Charles Hardy	Joseph Ivess
Taieri	Walter Carncross	Donald Reid	J J Ramsay
Taranaki	Edward Smith	Edward Smith	H J H Okey
Thames	James McGowan	James McGowan	W H Lucas
Timaru	William Hall-Jones	William Hall-Jones	F H Smith
Tuapeka	James Bennet	James Bennet	R Gilkison
Waiapu	James Carroll	James Carroll	Frank Isitt
Waikato	Frederic Lang	Frederic Lang	Henry Greenslade
Waikouaiti	Edmund Allen	Thomas Mackenzie	Frank Isitt
Wairarapa	J. T. Marryat Hornsby	Walter Clarke Buchanan	J. T. Marryat Hornsby
Wairau	Charles H. Mills	Charles H. Mills	John Duncan
Waitaki	William Steward	William Steward	J Campbell
Wakatipu	William Fraser	William Fraser	R B Ross
Wallace	Michael Gilfedder	John Thomson	Michael Gilfedder
Wanganui	Archibald Willis	Archibald Willis	J W Baker

Notes

1. "General elections 1853-2005 - dates & turnout". Elections New Zealand. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
2. McRobie 1989, pp. 67f.
3. McRobie 1989, pp. 63–68.
4. Wilson 1985, pp. 287–289.
5. "The General Election, 1902". National Library. 1903. pp. 1–4. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
6. "Mr Charles Leech". Auckland Star. XXXIII (281). 26 November 1902. p. 3. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
7. "Electoral District of Napier". Hawke's Bay Herald. XXXVII (12308). 1 December 1902. p. 3. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
8. "Electoral District of Oamaru". The Oamaru Mail. XXVIII (8060). 29 November 1902. p. 3. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
9. "Page 18 Advertisements Column 1". Observer. XXIII (10). 22 November 1902. p. 18. Retrieved 3 December 2014.

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.