Westland (New Zealand electorate)

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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.

Contents

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

Three Westland Members of Parliament (L to R) Jim Kent, Tom Seddon and Paddy Blanchfield West Coast Members of Parliament.jpg
Three Westland Members of Parliament (L to R) Jim Kent, Tom Seddon and Paddy Blanchfield

The electorate was represented by seven Members of Parliament: [12]

Key

  Independent     Liberal     Labour   

ElectionWinner
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 Jim 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

1969 election

1969 general election: Westland [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Paddy Blanchfield 6,449 44.30 -12.01
Independent Barry Dallas 4,57031.39
National George Kenneth Aitken Ferguson2,54817.50-8.95
Social Credit Ian Fraser9886.78-9.43
Majority1,87912.90-16.96
Turnout 14,55590.91+1.52
Registered electors 16,010

1966 election

1966 general election: Westland [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Paddy Blanchfield 7,621 56.31 -4.48
National George Kenneth Aitken Ferguson3,58026.45
Social Credit Ian Fraser2,19416.21+4.44
Communist Robert Henry Mitchell1381.01-0.14
Majority4,04129.86-4.66
Turnout 13,53389.39-1.91
Registered electors 15,138

1963 election

1963 general election: Westland [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Paddy Blanchfield 8,672 60.79 +1.91
National Winston Reynolds 3,74726.26
Social Credit Ian Fraser1,68011.77+3.29
Communist Robert Henry Mitchell1651.15-0.35
Majority4,92534.52+6.76
Turnout 14,26491.30-0.72
Registered electors 15,622

1960 election

1960 general election: Westland [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Paddy Blanchfield 8,153 58.88
National D A Hogg4,30931.12
Social Credit Ian Fraser1,1758.48+3.03
Communist Robert Henry Mitchell2081.50
Majority3,84427.76
Turnout 13,84592.02-1.19
Registered electors 15,045

1957 election

1957 general election: Westland [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jim Kent 9,159 63.22 +4.00
National Fred Boustridge 4,41430.46
Social Credit Ian Fraser7905.45-1.26
Communist Donald McEwan1240.85
Majority4,72532.61+6.43
Turnout 14,48793.21+0.45
Registered electors 15,542

1954 election

1954 general election: Westland [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jim Kent 8,152 59.22 +0.48
National Mark Wallace 4,54733.03
Social Credit Ian Fraser9256.71
Communist Robert Henry Mitchell1411.02
Majority3,60526.18+8.69
Turnout 13,76592.76-4.70
Registered electors 14,839

1951 election

1951 general election: Westland [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jim Kent 7,806 58.74 -0.09
National Isabella Catherine Brown5,48141.25
Majority2,32517.49-2.65
Turnout 13,28788.06-5.17
Registered electors 15,087

1949 election

1949 general election: Westland [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jim Kent 8,013 58.83 +0.09
National Patrick Joseph O'Regan5,26938.68
Communist Robert Henry Mitchell3382.48
Majority2,74420.14+2.65
Turnout 13,62093.23+2.88
Registered electors 14,608

1947 by-election

1947 Westland by-election [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jim Kent 7,427 57.88
National Jack Lockington5,40542.12
Majority2,02215.76
Informal votes54
Registered electors 14,262
Turnout 12,88690.35
Labour hold Swing

1946 election

1946 general election: Westland [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour James O'Brien 9,097 67.49
National E. Frank Chivers4,38132.51
Majority4,71634.98
Turnout 13,47894.50
Registered electors 14,262

1931 election

1931 general election: Westland [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour James O'Brien 5,193 56.05 +5.02
Independent John Greenslade 4,07243.95
Majority1,12112.10+10.04
Informal votes630.68-0.38
Turnout 9,32891.21-2.54
Registered electors 10,227

1928 election

1928 general election: Westland [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour James O'Brien 4,576 51.03 +1.92
United Tom Seddon 4,39148.97-0.28
Informal votes961.06-0.56
Majority1852.06
Turnout 9,06393.75-0.86
Registered electors 9,667

1925 election

1925 general election: Westland [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Tom Seddon 4,175 49.25 +18.48
Labour James O'Brien 4,16349.11+12.19
Informal votes1381.62+0.97
Majority120.14
Turnout 8,47694.61+1.87
Registered electors 8,958

1922 election

1922 general election: Westland [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour James O'Brien 2,926 36.92 -1.77
Liberal Tom Seddon 2,43930.77-29.33
Reform Jesse Steer 1,95224.63
Independent James Daniel Lynch5567.01
Informal votes520.65-0.56
Majority4876.14
Turnout 7,92592.74+8.64
Registered electors 8,545

1919 election

1919 general election: Westland [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Tom Seddon 4,201 60.10
Labour James O'Brien 2,70438.69
Informal votes851.21
Majority1,49721.41
Turnout 6,99084.10
Registered electors 8,311

1906 by-election

1906 Westland by-election [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Tom Seddon 2,403 58.81
Conservative Henry Michel 1,68341.18
Majority72017.62
Turnout 4,08691.12+10.05
Registered electors 4,484

1905 election

1905 general election: Westland [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Richard Seddon 3,420 92.05 -0.58
Independent Harry Cowin2406.46
Informal votes551.48
Majority3,18085.59+0.32
Turnout 3,71581.07+11.20
Registered electors 4,582

1902 election

1902 general election: Westland [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Richard Seddon 2,983 92.63
Independent Frank Isitt 2377.36
Majority2,74685.27
Turnout 3,22069.87
Registered electors 4,608

1899 election

1899 general election: Westland [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Richard Seddon Unopposed
Registered electors 4,427

1896 election

1896 general election: Westland [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Richard Seddon 2,707 76.66
Conservative Joseph Grimmond 82423.34
Majority1,88353.33
Informal votes
Turnout
Registered electors 4,508

1893 election

1893 general election: Westland [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Richard Seddon Unopposed
Registered electors 4,186

1890 election

1890 general election: Westland [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Richard Seddon 1,098 59.10
Conservative Joseph Grimmond 76040.90
Majority33818.19
Turnout 1,85873.06
Registered electors 2,543

1866 election

1866 general election: Westland [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent William Sefton Moorhouse 202 55.49
Independent William Shaw16244.51
Majority4010.99
Turnout 364
Registered electors

Notes

  1. McRobie 1989, p. 36.
  2. McRobie 1989, pp. 54ff.
  3. 1 2 3 Scholefield 1950, p. 127.
  4. 1 2 "Representation of Westland". West Coast Times. No. 158. 21 March 1866. p. 3. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
  5. "Election Intelligence". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. Vol. XXV, no. 26. 1 March 1866. p. 3. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
  6. Wilson 1985, p. 267.
  7. "Westland". Clutha Leader. Vol. XVII, no. 856. 12 December 1890. p. 6. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  8. 1 2 The General Election, 1893. Government Printer. 1894. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  9. 1 2 "Electoral District of Westland". West Coast Times. No. 10438. 17 December 1896. p. 3. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  10. Wilson 1985, p. 233.
  11. Wilson 1985, pp. 223, 233.
  12. Wilson 1985, p. 277.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Norton 1988, p. 391.
  14. "The General Election, 1949". National Library. 1950. pp. 1–5, 8. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  15. "The General Election, 1946". National Library. 1947. pp. 1–11, 14. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  16. The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 5. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  17. Skinner, W. A. G. (1929). The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. p. 5. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  18. The General Election, 1925. Government Printer. 1926. p. 2. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  19. The General Election, 1922. Government Printer. 1923. p. 2. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  20. Hislop, J. (1921). The General Election, 1919. National Library. pp. 1–6. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  21. "The Westland By-election". The Marlborough Express . Vol. XXXIX, no. 163. 16 July 1906. p. 2. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  22. The General Election, 1905. National Library. 1906. p. 1. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  23. "The General Election, 1902". National Library. 1903. pp. 1–4. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
  24. "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 1. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  25. "The General Election, 1890". National Library. 1891. Retrieved 25 February 2012.

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