Hurunui (New Zealand electorate)

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Hurunui was a parliamentary electorate in the Canterbury region of New Zealand, from 1902 (when it replaced Ashley) to 1963.

Contents

Population centres

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, and six electorates were established for the first time, including Hurunui, and two electorates that previously existed were re-established. [1]

The Hurunui electorate was rural. In the 1902 election, there were 34 polling stations, ranging from Amberley (the principal station), Kaikōura, Ashley, Sefton, Waikari, and Mackenzie. [2] In 1905, election meetings were held in Hawarden and Balcairn. [3]

History

The Hurunui electorate was first formed for the 1902 election, when it replaced the Ashley electorate. The first election in the new electorate was contested by five candidates: Richard Meredith of the Liberal Party, who was the incumbent from the Ashley electorate, Andrew Rutherford who also stood as a Liberal, George Forbes who stood as an Independent Liberal, as he did not gain the Liberal Party's nomination, Henry Reece, and George Thomas Pulley. Rutherford was successful, gaining almost twice the number of votes than the second-placed candidate, Reece. [4]

Three candidates contested the 1905 election. Rutherford was returned with more than twice the votes of Obed Frederick Clothier, and George Thomas Pulley came a distant third. [5] [6]

Rutherford retired in 1908, [7] and George Forbes and Obed Frederick Clothier contested the 1908 election. Forbes was successful, and started his long parliamentary career that would see him hold the electorate for the next 35 years to 1943. [8] [9] Forbes was Prime Minister from 1930 to 1935. [10]

William Gillespie succeeded Forbes in 1943 and held the electorate until his death in 1961. [11]

The last member was Lorrie Pickering of the National Party from the 1961 by-election to 1963. Pickering transferred to the new Rangiora electorate in 1963. [12]

In 1954, Norman Kirk stood in Hurunui as the Labour candidate, his first venture into national (parliamentary) politics. He increased Labour's share of the vote considerably, but did not win. [13]

Members of Parliament

The electorate was represented by four Members of Parliament. [14]

Key

  Liberal   United   National

ElectionWinner
1902 election Andrew Rutherford
1905 election
1908 election George Forbes
1911 election
1914 election
1919 election
1922 election
1925 election
1928 election
1931 election
1935 election
1938 election
1943 election William Gillespie
1946 election
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election
1957 election
1960 election
1961 by-election Lorrie Pickering
(Electorate abolished in 1963; see Rangiora)

Election results

1961 by-election

1961 Hurunui by-election [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Lorrie Pickering 6,644 52.91
Labour Arthur Adcock4,76037.91
Social Credit Jack Clark1,1539.18
Majority1,88415.00
Turnout 12,55774.13
Registered electors 16,940
National hold Swing

1960 election

1960 general election: Hurunui
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National William Gillespie 8,307 55.2 +2.6
Labour Arthur Adcock5,57637.0-3.3
Social Credit Jack Clark1,1807.8+0.5
Majority2,73118.2
Turnout 90.2
Registered electors 16,745

1957 election

1957 general election: Hurunui
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National William Gillespie 7,614 53.4 +0.1
Labour Lyn Christie5,86540.3+7.4
Social Credit Laurie Cate1,0577.3-7.5
Majority1,74912.1
Turnout 93.2
Registered electors 15,657

1954 election

1954 general election: Hurunui [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National William Gillespie 6,454 52.3 -8.7
Labour Norman Kirk 4,05932.9
Social Credit Laurie Cate1,82914.8
Majority2,39519.4-2.6
Turnout 13,52491.8+3.9

1951 election

1951 general election: Hurunui
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National William Gillespie 8,086 61.0 +1.5
Labour Ed Cassidy5,16539.0-1.5
Majority2,92122.0
Turnout 87.9
Registered electors 15,099

1949 election

1949 general election: Hurunui
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National William Gillespie 7,952 59.5 +3.9
Labour Arthur J. Smith5,41740.5-3.9
Majority2,53519.0
Turnout 93.3
Registered electors 14,397

1946 election

1946 general election: Hurunui
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National William Gillespie 7,121 55.6
Labour John Mathison 5,68144.4
Majority1,44011.2
Turnout 93.9
Registered electors 13,626

1943 election

There were four candidates in 1943, with the election won by William Gillespie over James William Morgan. [16]

1938 election

1938 general election: Hurunui [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National George Forbes 5,679 52.23 +3.03
Labour Harold Denton5,14447.31
Informal votes490.45-0.22
Majority5354.92-7.16
Turnout 10,87294.71+4.28
Registered electors 11,479

1935 election

1935 general election: Hurunui [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
United George Forbes 4,897 49.20 -24.47
Labour Donald Cyrus Davies3,69437.11
Independent Oliver Duff [19] 1,36213.68
Informal votes670.67-0.13
Majority1,20312.08-35.27
Turnout 9,95390.43+10.60
Registered electors 11,006

1931 election

1931 general election: Hurunui [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
United George Forbes 6,151 73.67 +17.62
Labour R J Logan [21] 2,19826.33
Informal votes670.80-0.33
Majority3,95347.35+28.06
Turnout 8,41679.83-10.26
Registered electors 10,543

1928 election

1928 general election: Hurunui [22] [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
United George Forbes 5,344 56.05 +0.91
Reform Leslie Robert Cathcart Macfarlane3,50536.76
Labour Frederick Turley5766.04
Informal votes1081.13+0.21
Majority1,83919.29+8.08
Turnout 9,53390.09-0.56
Registered electors 10,581

1925 election

1925 general election: Hurunui [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Forbes 3,989 55.14 -2.95
Reform J G Armstrong3,17843.93
Informal votes670.92-0.45
Majority81111.21-5.35
Turnout 7,23490.65+5.23
Registered electors 7,980

1922 election

1922 general election: Hurunui [25] [26] [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Forbes 3,963 58.09 +5.98
Reform S Andrew2,76540.53
Informal votes941.37+0.51
Majority1,19817.56+6.01
Turnout 6,82285.42+4.66
Registered electors 7,986

1919 election

1919 general election: Hurunui [28]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Forbes 3,008 52.11 -12.80
Reform J G Armstrong2,34140.55
Independent G G Gardner3736.46
Informal votes500.86-0.16
Majority66711.55-18.28
Turnout 5,77280.76-2.03
Registered electors 7,147

1914 election

1914 general election: Hurunui [29]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Forbes 3,233 64.91 +6.02
Reform William Banks1,74735.08
Informal votes460.92-0.10
Majority1,48629.83+11.02
Turnout 4,98082.79+3.63
Registered electors 6,015

1911 election

1911 general election: Hurunui, First ballot [30]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Forbes 2,940 58.89 +1.01
Reform David Macfarlane2,00140.08
Informal votes511.02+0.52
Majority93918.81+2.74
Turnout 4,99279.16+14.17
Registered electors 6,306

1908 election

1908 general election: Hurunui, Second ballot [31]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Forbes 2,150 57.88 +9.66
Conservative Obed Cloither1,55341.81+10.02
Informal votes110.290.54
Majority59716.07
Turnout 3,71464.99-9.61
1908 general election: Hurunui, First ballot [31]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Forbes 2,056 48.22
Conservative Obed Cloither 1,357 31.83
Ind. Labour League G D Greenwood50911.93
Independent Liberal George Pulley3097.24
Informal votes320.75
Turnout 4,26374.60
Registered electors 5,714

1902 election

1902 general election: Hurunui [32]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Andrew Rutherford 1,577 44.24
Conservative Henry Fear Reece88024.69
Liberal Richard Meredith 83423.40
Liberal George Forbes 2055.75
Independent Liberal George Pulley681.90
Majority69719.55
Turnout 3,56485.69
Registered electors 4,519

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References

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  15. 1 2 Norton 1988, p. 250.
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  20. The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 3. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
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Bibliography