Westland (New Zealand electorate)
Westland was a parliamentary electorate in the West Coast of New Zealand from 1866 to 1868 and 1890 to 1972. In 1972 the Tasman and West Coast electorates replaced the former Buller and Westland electorates.
Population centres
In the 1865 electoral redistribution, the House of Representatives focussed its review of electorates to South Island electorates only, as the Central Otago Gold Rush had caused significant population growth, and a redistribution of the existing population. Fifteen additional South Island electorates were created, including Westland, and the number of Members of Parliament was increased by 13 to 70.[1]
In December 1887, the House of Representatives voted to reduce its membership from general electorates from 91 to 70. The 1890 electoral redistribution used the same 1886 census data used for the 1887 electoral redistribution. In addition, three-member electorates were introduced in the four main centres. This resulted in a major restructuring of electorates, and Westland was one of eight electorates to be re-created for the 1890 election.[2]
History
The electorate was formed for the 1866 election. William Sefton Moorhouse stood in the electorate and was returned 16 March 1866 in favour of William Shaw.[3][4]
The general election was held on 22 February 1866 in the Mount Herbert electorate, in which Moorhouse was returned unopposed.[3][5] Having been elected in two electorates, Moorhouse chose to represent Westland.[6] Moorhouse resigned on 20 February 1868.[3]
Joseph Grimmond, who had since 1887 represented the Hokitika electorate, contested the Westland electorate in the 1890 general election against Richard Seddon, with Seddon being successful.[7] In the 1893 election, Seddon was returned unopposed.[8] In the 1896 election, Seddon was again opposed by Grimmond but remained successful.[9] Seddon held the electorate until his death in 1906.[10] He was succeeded by his son Tom, who in turn represented the electorate until his defeat in the 1925 election by Labour's James O'Brien.[11]
Members of Parliament
The electorate was represented by seven Members of Parliament:[12]
Key
| Election | Winner | |
| 1866 election | William Sefton Moorhouse | |
| (Electorate abolished 1868–1890, see Westland South, Westland North, Waimea, and Westland Boroughs) | ||
| 1890 election | Richard Seddon | |
| 1893 election | ||
| 1896 election | ||
| 1899 election | ||
| 1902 election | ||
| 1905 election | ||
| 1906 by-election | Tom Seddon | |
| 1908 election | ||
| 1911 election | ||
| 1914 election | ||
| 1919 election | ||
| 1922 election | James O'Brien | |
| 1925 election | Tom Seddon (2nd period) | |
| 1928 election | James O'Brien (2nd period) | |
| 1931 election | ||
| 1935 election | ||
| 1938 election | ||
| 1943 election | ||
| 1946 election | ||
| 1947 by-election | James Begg Kent | |
| 1949 election | ||
| 1951 election | ||
| 1954 election | ||
| 1957 election | ||
| 1960 election | Paddy Blanchfield | |
| 1963 election | ||
| 1966 election | ||
| 1969 election | ||
| (Electorate abolished in 1972, see West Coast and Tasman) | ||
Election results
1947 by-election
| Westland by-election, 1947[13] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Labour | James Kent | 7,427 | 57.88 | ||
| National | J. F. Lockington | 5,405 | 42.12 | ||
| Majority | 2,022 | 15.76 | |||
| Informal votes | 54 | ||||
| Registered electors | 14,262 | ||||
| Turnout | 12,886 | 90.35 | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
1931 election
| General election, 1931: Westland[14] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Labour | James O'Brien | 5,193 | 56.05 | +5.02 | |
| United/Reform | J. W. Greenslade | 4,072 | 43.95 | ||
| Majority | 1,121 | 12.10 | +10.04 | ||
| Informal votes | 63 | 0.68 | -0.38 | ||
| Turnout | 9,328 | 91.21 | -2.54 | ||
| Registered electors | 10,227 | ||||
1906 by-election
| Westland by-election, 1906[15] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Liberal | Tom Seddon | 2,403 | 58.81 | ||
| Independent | Henry Michel | 1,683 | 41.18 | ||
| Majority | 720 | 17.62 | |||
| Turnout | 4,086 | 91.12 | |||
1896 election
| General election, 1896: Westland[9] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Liberal | Richard Seddon | 2,707 | 76.66 | ||
| Opposition | Joseph Grimmond | 824 | 23.34 | ||
| Majority | 1,883 | 53.33 | |||
| Informal votes | |||||
| Registered electors | 4,508 | ||||
| Turnout | |||||
Notes
- ↑ McRobie 1989, p. 36.
- ↑ McRobie 1989, pp. 54ff.
- 1 2 3 Scholefield 1950, p. 127.
- ↑ "Representation of Westland". West Coast Times (158). 21 March 1866. p. 3. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
- ↑ "Election Intelligence". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle XXV (26). 1 March 1866. p. 3. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
- ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 267.
- ↑ "Westland". Clutha Leader XVII (856). 12 December 1890. p. 6. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
- ↑ The General Election, 1893. Government Printer. 1894. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
- 1 2 "Electoral District of Westland". West Coast Times (10438). 17 December 1896. p. 3. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 233.
- ↑ Wilson 1985, pp. 223, 233.
- ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 277.
- ↑ Norton 1988, p. 391.
- ↑ The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 5. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
- ↑ "The Westland By-election". The Marlborough Express. XXXIX (163). 16 July 1906. p. 2. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
References
- McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
- Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand parliamentary election results, 1946–1987. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington Department of Political Science. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.
- Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
- Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.