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.

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 Wellington South, and two electorates that had previously been abolished to be recreated. This necessitated a major disruption to existing boundaries.[1]

The electorate was in the southern suburbs of Wellington. It was east of the Foxton and Te Aro electorates, and included Miramar Peninsula.[2] In the 1887 electoral redistribution, the electorate was abolished again and replaced Wellington East for the more densely populated area, and by Wellington South and Suburbs for the more rural parts.[3]

History

The first representative was William Hutchison, who was elected in 1881.[4] In the 1884 election, Hutchison was defeated by George Fisher.[5] When Wellington South was abolished in 1887, Fisher transferred to Wellington East.[6]

It was then re-created in 1908 and abolished in 1946. It was largely replaced by the Island Bay electorate,[2] to which Robert McKeen transferred.[7]

Election results

Wellington South was represented by seven Members of Parliament.[8]

Key

  Independent   Labour   Labour (1910)
  United Labour   Independent Liberal   Labour
Election Winner
1881 election William Hutchison
1884 election George Fisher
(Electorate abolished 1887–1908)
1908 election Robert Wright
1911 election Alfred Hindmarsh
1914 election
1918 by-election Bob Semple
1919 election George Mitchell
1922 election Robert McKeen
1925 election
1928 election
1931 election
1935 election
1938 election
1943 election
(Electorate abolished in 1946, see Island Bay)

Election results

1943 election

1943 general election: Wellington Suburbs[9][10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert McKeen 8,091 59.36
National Ernest Toop 3,935 28.87
Democratic Labour Charlie Teece 1,269 9.31
Independent Terrence Maddison 209 1.53
Majority 4,156 30.49
Turnout 13,630 88.74
Registered electors 15,359

1935 election

1935 general election: Wellington South[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert McKeen 8,170 67.35 +5.79
Reform Henry Toogood[13] 2,111 17.40
Democrat Joseph Isaac Goldsmith 1,849 15.24
Informal votes 68 0.56 +0.20
Majority 6,059 49.95 +26.83
Turnout 12,130 87.17 +5.86
Registered electors 13,914

1931 election

1931 general election: Wellington South[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert McKeen 7,081 61.56 +10.02
United Will Appleton 4,422 38.44
Informal votes 42 0.36 -0.76
Majority 2,659 23.12 -2.32
Turnout 11,545 81.31 -6.71
Registered electors 14,198

1928 election

1928 general election: Wellington South[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert McKeen 5,984 51.54
Reform Martin Luckie 3,031 26.11
United John Burns 2,595 22.35
Majority 2,953 25.43
Informal votes 132 1.12
Turnout 11,742 88.03
Registered electors 13,339

1918 by-election

1918 Wellington South by-election[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Bob Semple 2,412 60.45
Reform George Frost[17] 1,181 29.60
Independent John Castle[17] 397 9.95
Majority 1,231 30.85
Turnout 3,990

1914 election

1914 general election[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Labour Alfred Hindmarsh 4,279 56.12 +4.36
Reform John Luke 3,064 40.18
Independent Robert Bradford Williams 221 2.89
Majority 1,215 15.93
Informal votes 60 0.78
Turnout 7,624 86.29
Registered electors 8,835

1911 election

1911 general election: Second ballot[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alfred Hindmarsh 3,598 51.76 +14.62
Reform Robert Wright 3,344 48.10 +6.73
Majority 254 3.65
Informal votes 9 0.12 -1.18
Turnout 6,951 76.66 -2.61
1911 general election: First ballot[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Robert Wright 2,974 41.37
Labour Alfred Hindmarsh 2,670 37.14
Liberal William Henry Peter Barber 1,264 17.58
Independent Albert Couzens 185 2.57
Informal votes 95 1.32
Turnout 7,188 79.27
Registered electors 9,067

Notes

  1. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 43–48.
  2. ^ a b McRobie 1989, p. 46.
  3. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 46, 50.
  4. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 207.
  5. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 196, 207.
  6. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 196.
  7. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 215.
  8. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 276.
  9. ^ "The General Election, 1943". National Library. 1944. p. 11. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Results from all Electorates". Evening Post. Vol. CXXXVI, no. 76. 27 September 1943. p. 6. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  11. ^ "City Nominations". Evening Post. Vol. CXXXVI, no. 61. 9 September 1943. p. 9. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  12. ^ The General Election, 1935. National Library. 1936. pp. 1–35. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  13. ^ "Toogood, Henry Featherston, (1879–1962)". Engineering New Zealand. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  14. ^ The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 5. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  15. ^ Skinner, W. A. G. (1929). The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. p. 5. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  16. ^ "By-election Results". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LV, no. 17038. 20 December 1918. p. 4. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  17. ^ a b "By-Elections". The Press. Vol. LIV, no. 16391. 10 December 1918. p. 7. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  18. ^ Hislop, J. (1915). The General Election, 1914. National Library. pp. 1–33. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  19. ^ a b "The General Election, 1911". National Library. 1912. pp. 1–14. Retrieved 1 August 2013.

References

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