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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.

Population centres

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In the 1865 electoral redistribution, the House of Representatives focussed its review of electorates to South Island electorates only, as the 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

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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

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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

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)

Election results

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1969 election

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1969 general election: Westland[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paddy Blanchfield 6,449 44.30 −12.01
Independent Barry Dallas 4,570 31.39
National George 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

1966 election

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1966 general election: Westland[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paddy Blanchfield 7,621 56.31 −4.48
National George 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

1963 election

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1963 general election: Westland[13]
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

1960 election

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1960 general election: Westland[13]
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

1957 election

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1957 general election: Westland[13]
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

1954 election

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1954 general election: Westland[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Kent 8,152 59.22 +0.48
Independent 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

1951 election

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1951 general election: Westland[13]
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

1949 election

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1949 general election: Westland[14]
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

1947 by-election

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1947 Westland by-election[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Kent 7,427 57.64
National Jack Lockington 5,405 41.95
Informal votes 54 0.41 −0.01
Majority 2,022 15.76
Turnout 12,886 90.35 −4.10
Registered electors 14,262
Labour hold Swing

1946 election

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1946 general election: Westland[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James O'Brien 9,097 67.21
National Frank Chivers 4,381 32.36
Informal votes 57 0.42
Majority 4,716 34.99
Turnout 13,535 94.45
Registered electors 14,330

1931 election

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1931 general election: Westland[15]
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

1928 election

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1928 general election: Westland[16]
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

1925 election

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1925 general election: Westland[17]
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

1922 election

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1922 general election: Westland[18]
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

1919 election

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1919 general election: Westland[19]
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

1906 by-election

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1906 Westland by-election[20]
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

1905 election

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1905 general election: Westland[21]
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

1902 election

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1902 general election: Westland[22]
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

1899 election

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1899 general election: Westland[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Seddon Unopposed
Registered electors 4,427

1896 election

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1896 general election: Westland[9]
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

1893 election

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

1890 election

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1890 general election: Westland[24]
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

1866 election

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1866 general election: Westland[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent William Sefton Moorhouse 202 55.49
Independent William Shaw 162 44.51
Majority 40 10.99
Turnout 364
Registered electors

Notes

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  1. ^ McRobie 1989, p. 36.
  2. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 54ff.
  3. ^ a b c Scholefield 1950, p. 127.
  4. ^ a b "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. ^ a b The General Election, 1893. Government Printer. 1894. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  9. ^ a b "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. ^ a b c d e f g h i Norton 1988, p. 391.
  14. ^ "The General Election, 1949". National Library. 1950. pp. 1–5, 8. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  15. ^ The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 5. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  16. ^ Skinner, W. A. G. (1929). The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. p. 5. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  17. ^ The General Election, 1925. Government Printer. 1926. p. 2. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  18. ^ The General Election, 1922. Government Printer. 1923. p. 2. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  19. ^ Hislop, J. (1921). The General Election, 1919. National Library. pp. 1–6. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  20. ^ "The Westland By-election". The Marlborough Express. Vol. XXXIX, no. 163. 16 July 1906. p. 2. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  21. ^ The General Election, 1905. National Library. 1906. p. 1. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  22. ^ "The General Election, 1902". National Library. 1903. pp. 1–4. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
  23. ^ "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 1. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  24. ^ "The General Election, 1890". National Library. 1891. Retrieved 25 February 2012.

References

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  • McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
  • Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand parliamentary election results, 1946–1987. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington Department of Political Science. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.
  • Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
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