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.
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]
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]
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 | 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) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Paddy Blanchfield | 6,449 | 44.30 | -12.01 | |
Independent | Barry Dallas | 4,570 | 31.39 | ||
National | George Kenneth Aitken Ferguson | 2,548 | 17.50 | -8.95 | |
Social Credit | Ian Fraser | 988 | 6.78 | -9.43 | |
Majority | 1,879 | 12.90 | -16.96 | ||
Turnout | 14,555 | 90.91 | +1.52 | ||
Registered electors | 16,010 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Paddy Blanchfield | 7,621 | 56.31 | -4.48 | |
National | George Kenneth Aitken Ferguson | 3,580 | 26.45 | ||
Social Credit | Ian Fraser | 2,194 | 16.21 | +4.44 | |
Communist | Robert Henry Mitchell | 138 | 1.01 | -0.14 | |
Majority | 4,041 | 29.86 | -4.66 | ||
Turnout | 13,533 | 89.39 | -1.91 | ||
Registered electors | 15,138 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Paddy Blanchfield | 8,672 | 60.79 | +1.91 | |
National | Winston Reynolds | 3,747 | 26.26 | ||
Social Credit | Ian Fraser | 1,680 | 11.77 | +3.29 | |
Communist | Robert Henry Mitchell | 165 | 1.15 | -0.35 | |
Majority | 4,925 | 34.52 | +6.76 | ||
Turnout | 14,264 | 91.30 | -0.72 | ||
Registered electors | 15,622 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Paddy Blanchfield | 8,153 | 58.88 | ||
National | D A Hogg | 4,309 | 31.12 | ||
Social Credit | Ian Fraser | 1,175 | 8.48 | +3.03 | |
Communist | Robert Henry Mitchell | 208 | 1.50 | ||
Majority | 3,844 | 27.76 | |||
Turnout | 13,845 | 92.02 | -1.19 | ||
Registered electors | 15,045 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jim Kent | 9,159 | 63.22 | +4.00 | |
National | Fred Boustridge | 4,414 | 30.46 | ||
Social Credit | Ian Fraser | 790 | 5.45 | -1.26 | |
Communist | Donald McEwan | 124 | 0.85 | ||
Majority | 4,725 | 32.61 | +6.43 | ||
Turnout | 14,487 | 93.21 | +0.45 | ||
Registered electors | 15,542 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jim Kent | 8,152 | 59.22 | +0.48 | |
National | Mark Wallace | 4,547 | 33.03 | ||
Social Credit | Ian Fraser | 925 | 6.71 | ||
Communist | Robert Henry Mitchell | 141 | 1.02 | ||
Majority | 3,605 | 26.18 | +8.69 | ||
Turnout | 13,765 | 92.76 | -4.70 | ||
Registered electors | 14,839 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jim Kent | 7,806 | 58.74 | -0.09 | |
National | Isabella Catherine Brown | 5,481 | 41.25 | ||
Majority | 2,325 | 17.49 | -2.65 | ||
Turnout | 13,287 | 88.06 | -5.17 | ||
Registered electors | 15,087 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jim Kent | 8,013 | 58.83 | +0.09 | |
National | Patrick Joseph O'Regan | 5,269 | 38.68 | ||
Communist | Robert Henry Mitchell | 338 | 2.48 | ||
Majority | 2,744 | 20.14 | +2.65 | ||
Turnout | 13,620 | 93.23 | +2.88 | ||
Registered electors | 14,608 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Jim Kent | 7,427 | 57.88 | ||
National | Jack 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 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | James O'Brien | 9,097 | 67.49 | ||
National | E. Frank Chivers | 4,381 | 32.51 | ||
Majority | 4,716 | 34.98 | |||
Turnout | 13,478 | 94.50 | |||
Registered electors | 14,262 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | James O'Brien | 5,193 | 56.05 | +5.02 | |
Independent | John 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 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | James O'Brien | 4,576 | 51.03 | +1.92 | |
United | Tom Seddon | 4,391 | 48.97 | -0.28 | |
Informal votes | 96 | 1.06 | -0.56 | ||
Majority | 185 | 2.06 | |||
Turnout | 9,063 | 93.75 | -0.86 | ||
Registered electors | 9,667 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Tom Seddon | 4,175 | 49.25 | +18.48 | |
Labour | James O'Brien | 4,163 | 49.11 | +12.19 | |
Informal votes | 138 | 1.62 | +0.97 | ||
Majority | 12 | 0.14 | |||
Turnout | 8,476 | 94.61 | +1.87 | ||
Registered electors | 8,958 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | James O'Brien | 2,926 | 36.92 | -1.77 | |
Liberal | Tom Seddon | 2,439 | 30.77 | -29.33 | |
Reform | Jesse Steer | 1,952 | 24.63 | ||
Independent | James Daniel Lynch | 556 | 7.01 | ||
Informal votes | 52 | 0.65 | -0.56 | ||
Majority | 487 | 6.14 | |||
Turnout | 7,925 | 92.74 | +8.64 | ||
Registered electors | 8,545 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Tom Seddon | 4,201 | 60.10 | ||
Labour | James O'Brien | 2,704 | 38.69 | ||
Informal votes | 85 | 1.21 | |||
Majority | 1,497 | 21.41 | |||
Turnout | 6,990 | 84.10 | |||
Registered electors | 8,311 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Tom Seddon | 2,403 | 58.81 | ||
Conservative | Henry Michel | 1,683 | 41.18 | ||
Majority | 720 | 17.62 | |||
Turnout | 4,086 | 91.12 | +10.05 | ||
Registered electors | 4,484 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Richard Seddon | 3,420 | 92.05 | -0.58 | |
Independent | Harry Cowin | 240 | 6.46 | ||
Informal votes | 55 | 1.48 | |||
Majority | 3,180 | 85.59 | +0.32 | ||
Turnout | 3,715 | 81.07 | +11.20 | ||
Registered electors | 4,582 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Richard Seddon | 2,983 | 92.63 | ||
Independent | Frank Isitt | 237 | 7.36 | ||
Majority | 2,746 | 85.27 | |||
Turnout | 3,220 | 69.87 | |||
Registered electors | 4,608 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Richard Seddon | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,427 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Richard Seddon | 2,707 | 76.66 | ||
Conservative | Joseph Grimmond | 824 | 23.34 | ||
Majority | 1,883 | 53.33 | |||
Informal votes | |||||
Turnout | |||||
Registered electors | 4,508 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Richard Seddon | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 4,186 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Richard Seddon | 1,098 | 59.10 | ||
Conservative | Joseph Grimmond | 760 | 40.90 | ||
Majority | 338 | 18.19 | |||
Turnout | 1,858 | 73.06 | |||
Registered electors | 2,543 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | William Sefton Moorhouse | 202 | 55.49 | ||
Independent | William Shaw | 162 | 44.51 | ||
Majority | 40 | 10.99 | |||
Turnout | 364 | ||||
Registered electors |
The 1899 New Zealand general election was held on 6 and 19 December in the European and Māori electorates, respectively, to elect 74 MPs to the 14th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The election was again won by the Liberal Party, and Richard Seddon remained Prime Minister.
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