Kumara (New Zealand electorate)

Last updated

Kumara was a parliamentary electorate in the West Coast region of New Zealand, from 1881 to 1890.

Contents

Population centres

The previous electoral redistribution was undertaken in 1875 for the 1875–1876 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 Kumara, and two electorates that had previously been abolished to be recreated. This necessitated a major disruption to existing boundaries. [1]

The electorate got its name from the town of Kumara. The northern boundary of the electorate was the Taramakau River over its entire length (i.e. up to Harper's Pass). The electorate was located between the Greymouth and Hokitika electorates. The eastern boundary was the old boundary between the Canterbury and Westland Provinces. [1]

In the 1887 electoral redistribution, the northern boundary shifted further north, and Lake Brunner was gained. [2]

History

Kumara was established for the 1881 election and was abolished after three parliamentary terms in 1890. The electorate was represented by one Member of Parliament, the future Premier Richard Seddon, known as 'King Dick'. [3] Seddon had previously, since the 1879 election, represented Hokitika. Following the abolition of the Kumara electorate, Seddon successfully stood in the Westland electorate in the 1890 election. [4] He became Premier in 1893. [5]

Members of Parliament

Key

  Independent   

ElectionWinner
1881 election Richard Seddon
1884 election
1887 election

Election results

1887 election

1887 general election, Kumara [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Richard Seddon Unopposed
Registered electors 1,816

1884 election

1884 general election, Kumara [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Richard Seddon 667 57.31 +4.33
Independent Edwin Blake 49742.69-4.43
Majority17014.60+8.86
Turnout 1,16462.61+4.21
Registered electors 1,859

1881 election

1881 general election, Kumara [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Richard Seddon 700 52.88
Independent Edwin Blake 62447.12
Majority765.74
Turnout 1,32458.40
Registered electors 2,267

Notes

  1. 1 2 McRobie 1989, pp. 43–48.
  2. McRobie 1989, pp. 51–53.
  3. Wilson 1985, p. 266.
  4. Wilson 1985, p. 233.
  5. Hamer, David. "Seddon, Richard John - Biography". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Ministry for Culture and Heritage . Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  6. "The General Election, 1887". National Library. 1887. pp. 1–4. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  7. Cooper, G. S. (1884). The General Election, 1884. National Library. pp. 1–3. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  8. Cooper, G. S. (1882). Votes Recorded for Each Candidate. Government Printer. Retrieved 24 October 2015.

Related Research Articles

Waipa is a former parliamentary electorate in the Waikato region of New Zealand, which existed for various periods between 1876 and 1996.

Taranaki was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate that existed for three periods between 1881 and 1996. It was represented by nine Members of Parliament.

Wellington South is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It existed for two periods between 1881 and 1946. It was represented by seven Members of Parliament.

Christchurch North is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate. The electorate comprised the northern half of what is now considered the Christchurch Central City.

West Coast is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, from 1972 to 1996.

Ohinemuri is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It existed from 1896 to 1928, and was represented by five Members of Parliament.

Waitotara was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate in South Taranaki. It existed from 1881 to 1893, and again from 1978 to 1996. It was represented by four Members of Parliament.

Thorndon is a former parliamentary electorate in the city of Wellington, New Zealand from 1881 to 1890.

Hokitika is a former parliamentary electorate in the West Coast region of New Zealand, based on the town of Hokitika. It existed from 1871 to 1890 and was represented by nine members of parliament. For a time, it was one of the two-member electorates in New Zealand.

Foxton is a former parliamentary electorate in the Manawatū-Whanganui and Wellington regions of New Zealand, from 1881 to 1890.

Inangahua is a former parliamentary electorate in the Buller District, which is part of the West Coast region of New Zealand, from 1881 to 1896. The town of Inangahua Junction, which gave the electorate its name, was located in the adjacent Buller electorate until 1887.

Te Aro was a parliamentary electorate in Wellington, New Zealand from 1881 to 1890. It covered the southern area of the central business district. During the three parliamentary terms of its existence, the electorate was represented by three Members of Parliament.

Totara was a parliamentary electorate in the West Coast of New Zealand from 1871 to 1881. It was represented by two Members of Parliament

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.

Auckland North was a parliamentary electorate in Auckland, New Zealand from 1881 to 1890.

Hokonui was a parliamentary electorate in the Southland region of New Zealand, from 1881 to 1890.

Dunedin East was a parliamentary electorate in the city of Dunedin in the Otago region of New Zealand from 1881 to 1890.

Waimate was a parliamentary electorate in the Canterbury region of New Zealand from 1881 to 1893 and from 1946 to 1957. It was represented by three Members of Parliament.

Franklin North was a parliamentary electorate in the southern part of the Auckland Region of New Zealand from 1881 to 1890.

Franklin South was a parliamentary electorate in the southern part of the Auckland Region of New Zealand from 1881 to 1890. During the three parliamentary terms of its existence, the electorate was represented by Ebenezer Hamlin.

References